Police recover AK-47 rifle in Apapa

The suspect

Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command at the weekend recovered an AK-47 rifle from three young men in Apapa area of Lagos just as it arrested a 23-year-old bag snatcher on Friday in Alagbado during a botched operation.

The operatives, who were on routine patrol of Apapa, sighted the three young men around 11p.m. on Friday carrying a bag. The officers accosted the men but the suspects on sighting the officers dropped the bag and fled the scene. A check on the contents of the bag revealed an AK-47. No ammunition was found in the bag.

Meanwhile, a suspected okada robber, Ayobami Adedeji, was chased by the operatives on routine patrol of Kola bus-stop, in Alagbado area of Lagos, after snatching a handbag around 10p.m.

Adedeji, in company of an accomplice, who he referred to as Aboki, had on Friday night, operating with a motorcycle, snatched the handbag of one Kudirat Oyebade at Kola bus stop.

The operatives, who were close to the scene of the incident, chased the motorcycle into the inner streets. One of the suspects was however arrested while the rider escaped abandoning his motorcycle.

Adedeji, who snatched the bag, said: “I was a bus conductor. I went to Kotangora market on Monday to meet Aboki about how to raise money for ourselves. We have been together for a long time. Around 2p.m. on Monday, we perfected the plan to operate together on Lagos Abeokuta Expressway but our focus were Adura and Council bus stops around Agbado area. Our priorities were handbags and purses.

“We had snatched two bags and my colleague was keeping the money before our last botched operation. This was our first time. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t know RRS operatives were monitoring us. I snatched the bag and they chased us into the streets. My colleague escaped after abandoning his okada and I was arrested.”

He continued: “I dropped out in SS1 after losing my mother. My father was just a ceremonial father. He never cared about me since the death of my mother. He never assisted me but I had to fend for myself after the death of my mother.”

The rifle has been deposited at the RRS headquarters for further investigation while Adedeji has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti for further investigation.