An unrepentant pickpocket suspect arrested by the officials of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command, has blamed his partner in the crime for his arrest.
The suspects, 24-year-old Taoreed Ashimiyu and 34-year-old Kayode Jolaade who said they operated mainly on the Mile 12 and Maryland axis were arrested after they had successfully removed three phones from commuters in different BRT buses.
However, Taoreed, who said he hails from Yemetu, Alawada in Oyo state, blamed Jolaade for their arrest.
Taoreed was knocked down by a truck while trying to escape from a mob pursuing him after he robbed some victims at Maryland, Lagos.
Taoreed would have escaped but was betrayed by his appetite for crime. It was gathered that he would have boarded a moving bus, but rather than board, he decided to pick the pocket of a man that extended his hand to help him into the moving bus and jumped down to continue his escape bid on foot. He was however knocked down by a vehicle and was promptly arrested by the RRS.
“My accomplice caused my arrest today. Before he joined me at Maryland, I had stolen two phones successfully.
But when he came around, we had to be moving in pair.
“People who know him in the area were monitoring us, unknown to us. I went for another victim whom I removed money from his pocket. But I never knew these people who saw us together have started monitoring me too.”
The suspect who disclosed that he spent the proceeds of his crime on prostitutes added that; “the people after monitoring our operations for some time started chasing me. On sighting them, I took to my heels. They were many; they caught up with me and started beating me. I managed to escape from them and ran to join moving BRT.”
“As I was attempting to board, I saw a guy at the entrance who was trying to assist me in getting into the bus. But unknown to him, I was being chased.
“In the process of helping me, I dipped my hand in his pocket and removed his phone, and jumped down but he didn’t know I had equally removed his phone.
“As I jumped down, the pupils continued chasing me. When I had no option left, I tried to cross the expressway but unfortunately for me I was knocked down by a truck.
“People thought I was dead, my unconsciousness on the highway caused traffic, I opened my eyes to see RRS men, who arrested me,” Taoreed said.
On his part, Jolaade, said that he was lured into crime after losing his job at a private security guard firm in Lagos.
“I was once a security guard working for one of the new generation corporate security companies in the state Our appointment was terminated about a year ago.
“I tried all means to get new job but to no avail. Then, I chose to be following pickpockets to hide their stolen phones and other items.
“I seriously regretted my action and for taking into crime.” he confessed.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Dolapo Badmus, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Lagos State Police Command, confirmed the arrest of the suspects. She added that the two suspects have been charged to court for prosecution.
No comments:
Post a Comment