The Lagos State police command has arrested two suspected members of a notorious “one-chance” robbery syndicate and recovered a tricycle allegedly used in their operations. 

The command’s spokesperson, Abimbola Adebisi, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Lagos.

Ms Adebisi said that the suspects were apprehended during a routine stop-and-search operation on Iyana Ipaja Road.

She said that a tricycle conveying three occupants was stopped for a search, adding that during the process, one of the occupants was found with three Android phones suspected to have been stolen from unsuspecting passengers.

“While the search was ongoing, the tricycle rider suddenly zoomed off, abandoning the other occupants at the scene. One of the suspects was immediately apprehended.

“During interrogation, the suspect confessed to being a member of a robbery syndicate popularly known as ‘One Chance’, which specialises in robbing commuters of their valuables along the Idimu, Iyana-Ipaja, Egbeda and Dopemu areas of the state,” she said.

The image maker said that further investigation led to the arrest of the fleeing tricycle rider.

She said that the operational tricycle used by the suspects, with registration number SMK 309 QP, was recovered.

The spokesperson said two victims who had earlier reported incidents of “one-chance” robbery along the axis positively identified the suspects as members of the gang and also identified their stolen phones recovered from them.

According to her, efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of the syndicate and bring them to justice.

She said that the state’s commissioner of police, Fatai Tijani, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to combating robbery and other violent crimes in Lagos.

Ms Adebisi urged residents to remain vigilant, stay calm during stop-and-search operations, and continue supporting the police with timely and credible information through the command emergency lines: 07061019374, 08065154338, 08063299264, 08039344870, and 09168630929.

(NAN)