The Lagos State Police Command has arrested two suspected armed robbers, Segun Adeyemi, 32, and Abayomi Ajayi, 24, while they were allegedly attacking residents around the Shoprite Ikeja and Maryland axis.
In a statement on Thursday, the command spokesperson, Abimbola Adebisi, said operatives of the Ikeja Division responded swiftly to a distress call on 29 September around 7:15 p.m.
She explained that the suspects, part of a three-man gang operating on a motorcycle, were trailed and apprehended. But a third member was said to have escaped. The motorcycle used in the operation was recovered as evidence.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the gang came from Mushin to carry out their criminal activities in Ikeja before luck ran out on them. Efforts are ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspect,” Ms Adebisi said.
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The arrests highlight rising concerns about motorcycle-riding robbery gangs, popularly called ‘okada robbers,’ who target commuters and shoppers in busy parts of Lagos. The Ikeja and Maryland corridors, which host malls, banks and offices, have been identified as hotspots for such attacks.
Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, commended the officers for their swift response and urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to support policing efforts.
The latest arrests come weeks after police apprehended another suspected gang leader, John Samuel, 28, described as an ex-convict and hired assassin. Mr Samuel, according to investigators, had only recently completed a six-year jail term before returning to violent crime.
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Police said he was involved in the 18 August daylight attack on Gbajobi Street, Allen Avenue, Ikeja, where a businessman, Gbenga Obama, was shot and robbed of valuables by Samuel and an accomplice on a motorcycle.
The Lagos police command has pledged to intensify patrols and surveillance across robbery-prone areas, warning that criminals exploiting motorcycles for quick escapes will be tracked and prosecuted.
