The Commissioner of Police in Ogun state, Edward Ajogun, on Tuesday paraded seven fake soldiers who were arrested in Lagos and Sagamu after their failed operation on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The CP, while parading the suspects at the command’s headquarters at Eleweran, Abeokuta, said the suspects, who were members of a gang, had operated at Ijebu-Ife around 2.30am on September 4 in military camouflage uniforms.
Ajogun said the criminal gang engaged his men in a gun battle, which led to the death of one of them while seven others escaped.
He said operatives of the Special Anti- Robbery Squad, led by CSP Muhammad Tijani fished out the suspects from their different hideouts within and outside the state.
Ajogun said six of the suspects – Ikechukwu Alore, Ifeanyi Emmanuel, Chinbueze Kingsley, Obiora Michael, Elias John and Vincent Magnus– were arrested at different locations in Lagos.
He added that the remaining one, Chigozie Michael, was apprehended in Sagamu, Ogun State.
He said, “The gang leader, Obiora Michael, who sustained bullet wounds on his abdomen, right hand and thigh during the encounter with the SARS operatives, was traced to his home in the Ajangbadi area of Lagos on September 17, where his wife was treating him, having lied to her that he sustained the injuries in a road accident.”
Ajogun presented a cash gift of N100,000 to the SARS operatives as commendation for their efforts leading to the arrest of the suspects.
He said, “Note that you are receiving the carrot today; please avoid the stick tomorrow by sticking to professionalism and excellence in every of your outings.
While speaking with journalists, the gang leader said he had been into robbery for 13 years to feed his family.
He explained that the gang came about the military uniforms when they attacked a passenger bus on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and found a bag containing the military uniforms.
