I Have Stolen 240 Phones From Commuters In 14 Months – PickPocket

…As dismissed soldier in Army uniform nabbed for robbery in
Lagos

A 27-year-old self-confessed pickpocket has disclosed that he
had stolen 240 mobile telephones from commuters in Lagos, since he
started operation one year and two months ago.

This is just as a dismissed soldier in Army uniform was arrested
for robbery in Aguda area of Lagos, while his partner, also in Army
uniform, escaped with the rider of their operational motorbike.

The pickpocket, Ayomide Sikiru, 27, a resident of Akala, Mushin,
was arrested around 10:00 p.m on Sunday, after he successfully
picked a Tecno Camon 12 from the hand bag of an elderly woman when
she was trying to board a commercial bus to Ojodu-Berger,
Lagos.

Sikiru, who disclosed that it took him 15 days to learn the
criminal act, revealed that he operated between Thursdays and
Saturdays only.

His modus operandi included boarding a bus and removing phones
from ladies hand bags or men’s pockets.

Luck however ran against him after he was confronted by the
owner of the phone .

He was said to have initially denied the allegation, an action
that resulted in verbal confrontation which alerted operatives of
the Rapid Response Squad stationed at Iyana Oworo.

He was reportedly searched only to recover the phone and another
iphone 7, also discovered to have earlier been snatched, inside his
bag.

During interrogation, he said: “ I live in Akala, Mushin. I
don’t use charm. Someone taught me how to pickpocket. I followed
him out for 15 days and watched how he did it until I became
perfect. I only operated at night, sometimes when passengers were
sleeping inside the bus or rushing to board a commercial bus. I
have so far stolen 240 phones. I sell them to ready buyers”.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa
Adejobi , who confirmed the arrest, said phones had been handed
over to their owners.

Meanwhile, the dismissed soldier , Johnson Godday and his
fleeing partner , reportedly operated on a motorcycle. The Police
said they attacked some passengers who were alighting from a
tricycle at about 10.15 pm on Sunday, at Emmanuel street junction,
Ogudu area of Lagos.

One of the victims, Onyebuchi Nwanga, said the robbers snatched his
Infinix smart 5 phone in the process, adding that they raised the
alarm which alerted policemen attached to Ogudu division.

Explaining how his arrest was effected, Adejobi, said, “ when
they raised an alarm, policemen attached to Ogudu Division on duty
around the scene came to their rescue and arrested the suspect in
Army uniform while the other, also in the Nigerian Army uniform,
escaped with the motorcyclist. The snatched phone was immediately
recovered from the suspect.

“In the course of investigation, Johnson Godday confessed that
he was attached to NA 149 Batallion, Ojo, Lagos before he was
dismissed from the Nigerian Army”.

In another development, Adejobi, informed that nine vehicles
were impounded by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS , in
Lagos, in compliance with the order of the Commissioner of Police,
Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu on enforcement of the curfew and
COVID-19 protocols, last Friday.

The impounded vehicles included six commercial buses, a Toyota
Hilux, a Honda Accord and Ford pickup.

Adejobi said, “ Registration numbers of the impounded vehicles
are: GGE 240 XZ, SMK 696 YA, AAA 869 YD, LSD 322 GE, KTU 466 FH,
JJJ 877 YC, AAA 773 XH, EPE 241 XZ and an unregistered Volkswagen
transporter.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu, has ordered the
cases to be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and
Intelligence Department, SCIID, Yaba, for proper investigation,
while owners of the impounded vehicles should immediately be
charged to the mobile courts at Taskforce office Oshodi”.

…As dismissed soldier in Army uniform nabbed for robbery in
Lagos

A 27-year-old self-confessed pickpocket has disclosed that he
had stolen 240 mobile telephones from commuters in Lagos, since he
started operation one year and two months ago.

This is just as a dismissed soldier in Army uniform was arrested
for robbery in Aguda area of Lagos, while his partner, also in Army
uniform, escaped with the rider of their operational motorbike.

The pickpocket, Ayomide Sikiru, 27, a resident of Akala, Mushin,
was arrested around 10:00 p.m on Sunday, after he successfully
picked a Tecno Camon 12 from the hand bag of an elderly woman when
she was trying to board a commercial bus to Ojodu-Berger,
Lagos.

Sikiru, who disclosed that it took him 15 days to learn the
criminal act, revealed that he operated between Thursdays and
Saturdays only.

His modus operandi included boarding a bus and removing phones
from ladies hand bags or men’s pockets.

Luck however ran against him after he was confronted by the
owner of the phone .

He was said to have initially denied the allegation, an action
that resulted in verbal confrontation which alerted operatives of
the Rapid Response Squad stationed at Iyana Oworo.

He was reportedly searched only to recover the phone and another
iphone 7, also discovered to have earlier been snatched, inside his
bag.

During interrogation, he said: “ I live in Akala, Mushin. I
don’t use charm. Someone taught me how to pickpocket. I followed
him out for 15 days and watched how he did it until I became
perfect. I only operated at night, sometimes when passengers were
sleeping inside the bus or rushing to board a commercial bus. I
have so far stolen 240 phones. I sell them to ready buyers”.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa
Adejobi , who confirmed the arrest, said phones had been handed
over to their owners.

Meanwhile, the dismissed soldier , Johnson Godday and his
fleeing partner , reportedly operated on a motorcycle. The Police
said they attacked some passengers who were alighting from a
tricycle at about 10.15 pm on Sunday, at Emmanuel street junction,
Ogudu area of Lagos.

One of the victims, Onyebuchi Nwanga, said the robbers snatched his
Infinix smart 5 phone in the process, adding that they raised the
alarm which alerted policemen attached to Ogudu division.

Explaining how his arrest was effected, Adejobi, said, “ when
they raised an alarm, policemen attached to Ogudu Division on duty
around the scene came to their rescue and arrested the suspect in
Army uniform while the other, also in the Nigerian Army uniform,
escaped with the motorcyclist. The snatched phone was immediately
recovered from the suspect.

“In the course of investigation, Johnson Godday confessed that
he was attached to NA 149 Batallion, Ojo, Lagos before he was
dismissed from the Nigerian Army”.

In another development, Adejobi, informed that nine vehicles
were impounded by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS , in
Lagos, in compliance with the order of the Commissioner of Police,
Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu on enforcement of the curfew and
COVID-19 protocols, last Friday.

The impounded vehicles included six commercial buses, a Toyota
Hilux, a Honda Accord and Ford pickup.

Adejobi said, “ Registration numbers of the impounded vehicles
are: GGE 240 XZ, SMK 696 YA, AAA 869 YD, LSD 322 GE, KTU 466 FH,
JJJ 877 YC, AAA 773 XH, EPE 241 XZ and an unregistered Volkswagen
transporter.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu, has ordered the
cases to be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and
Intelligence Department, SCIID, Yaba, for proper investigation,
while owners of the impounded vehicles should immediately be
charged to the mobile courts at Taskforce office Oshodi”.