Operatives of the Lagos State Taskforce have arrested two pickpockets, Sodiq Olagoke and Lucas Patrick around Oshodi/Ikeja Along with areas of the state.
Olagoke, 25 and Patrick, 26 were both arrested in the early hours of Tuesday after they had dispossessed eight unsuspecting commuters of their phones around Oshodi/Ikeja Along.
Spokesperson for the agency, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, in a statement yesterday, said the suspects usually operate with a commercial vehicle (Danfo) and make N80,000 daily from the crime.
He said the officers discovered that the suspects, who were roving the said area in the commercial bus, looked suspicious and that both the driver and the two male passengers seemed uneasy after driving past the officers.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Task force, Shola Jejeloye, said the agency would make the state uninhabitable for all criminal elements.
Jejeloye, who spoke on the arrest at the agency’s Headquarters at Bolade Oshodi, Lagos, said the officers kept track of the suspects for a few minutes, before double-crossing their vehicle at Oshodi, leading to all three occupants taking to their heels.
“Two out of the three suspects were arrested with the assistance of passers-by. We found eight different mobile telephones belonging to different unsuspecting passengers, who boarded their vehicle.
“Sodiq, who claimed to be a painter, said he has been in the pick pocket business for over a year and boasts of a daily bounty of N80,000, which he splits with his partners in crime.
“ They said they operate mainly on Tuesdays and Fridays because those are the busiest days of the week, hence, there is usually a lot of hustle and bustle at the bus stops.
“Passengers who make use of their phones while in their bus are usually falsely alerted by the conductor that there is a fight going on in front which would make the passenger pocket their phone and then they steal it.
“The second suspect, who plays the role of the driver, also disclosed that pickpocketing is a very lucrative business for him,” Jejeloye added.
He urged Lagosians to be vigilant and conscious of their environment at all times and ensure that any suspicious moves are reported to the agency or to the nearest Police Station.
He stated the Taskforce is on the trail of the buyers of stolen phones, while the suspects will be charged to court.
