Police arrest eight suspected traffic robbers in Ketu, Lagos

The police in Lagos have arrested eight suspected armed robbers who rob commuters and passengers in traffic snarls in the Ketu-Alapere area of the state.

The Lagos Command’s Public Relations Officer of the police, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said in a statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday that operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), arrested the suspects in two separate raids.

Adejobi said one team of RRS operatives arrested five of the suspects on Feb. 11 at about 10:30 p.m. around the “Motorway’’ area of Ketu.

He added that another RRS team apprehended three other suspects while robbing their victims at about 6 a.m. on Feb. 12.

He stated that the suspects confessed to being members of traffic robbery syndicates.

He alleged that the suspects connived with bus conductors who created artificial traffic gridlocks on the highway at dawn as a decoy to rob commuters and passengers.

He added that in addition to robbing people, the suspects were engaged in the illicit drug business.

He listed items recovered from the suspects to include weapons, assorted charms, mobile phones, and wraps of illicit substances suspected to be cocaine and other hard drugs.

Adejobi said the suspects would be taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, for further investigation.