The Lagos State Police Command has said it will arraign a recently released ex-convict, Yemi Aparaojo, and his accomplice, Samuel Adekunle, for allegedly robbing a passerby of N25,000 in the Mile 12 area of the state.
The suspects were said to have approached the victim under the guise of requesting financial help before forcefully taking his money and assaulting him. The incident reportedly occurred last week around midday, according to a statement shared on the official Facebook page of the Lagos Rapid Response Squad on Wednesday.
Aparaojo, also known as Asa, 33, was released from the Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Centre in May after serving six and a half years. Adekunle, alias Omo-jo-Ibo, 37, was described as a known figure in several traffic robbery incidents around the Ajelogo and Ketu areas. The police said operatives had been on the lookout for him.
The statement explained that the suspects, along with two others who are still at large, pestered the victim for money before turning on him and forcibly taking the N25,000 he offered in goodwill. The group then physically assaulted the man.
Their arrest came after the victim identified them to RRS operatives at Mile 12. Acting swiftly, officers apprehended Aparaojo and Adekunle, while the two other gang members escaped through Ketu market.
The Lagos Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, has directed that the suspects be arraigned in court without delay. In response, the Commander of the RRS, CSP Sola Jejeloye, has reinforced patrol teams around Ketu and Mile 12 to tackle rising street crime in the area.
Police said efforts are ongoing to track down and arrest the remaining members of the gang.
