A member of the Nigerian Legion, Lagos State, Umam Hamid, has been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly stealing no fewer than four motorcycles in the Agege area of the state.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the mode of operation of the 48-year-old Borno State indigene was to stop motorcyclists on the road and allege that they were violating the state traffic law.
Hamid, who would claim to be working with the Lagos State Taskforce on Environmenal and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit, would then take their motorcycles away after giving them a fake phone number.
Luck, however, ran out on the suspect on Friday after he had seized the motorcycle of one Amin Al-Hassan.
Hamid was said to have been apprehended by the operatives of the Rapid Response Squad while chasing a passer-by who snatched his fake ID card.
Al-Hassan, in his statement to the police, said the suspect accosted him at the Total Filling Station, Agege, around 10.30pm and demanded a N20,000 bribe.
He said, “I pleaded with him to take N5,000, but he refused. I sat behind him when he mounted the motorcycle and rode it towards the Iyana Ipaja area. He rode through Agbotikuyo, Agege. I begged him, but he told me to get down from the motorcycle.
“At Mulero, I forced the motorcycle to a halt by removing the key from the ignition; then I got down. We were arguing when two passers-by joined us and requested his identity card when he said he was a policeman with the Lagos State task force.
“Reluctantly, he brought out his ID card. One of the passers-by snatched it from him. Then, he began to chase the man, who quickly ran towards the RRS patrol team nearby which arrested him and collected the dagger in his hand.”
It was learnt that at the RRS office, three other victims from whom Hamid had allegedly stolen three motorcycles, showed up to identify him.
The three men – Shuaib Abdullahi, Umaru Hassan and Salisu Umaru – alleged that Hamid and an accomplice, seized their motorcycles and shot one of them in the cheek at Shoretire Street, Agege.
Abdullahi explained that the suspect around 9pm on Wednesday last week, took his motorcycle from him under the pretext of taking him to the task force office.
“He rode to Ile–Zik before threatening me to get down or he would kill me at a deserted place. I requested his phone number and he gave me a fake contact. I called the number immediately he left, but it was not reachable,” he added.
The suspect reportedly did not deny the allegations of the three victims.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the incident.
She said, “The case has been transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad for further investigations. We believe the arrest will help with investigations into reported cases of motorcycles theft in Agege and its environs.”
PUNCH NG
