Some Lagos residents including popular filmmaker, Biodun Stephen, had raised the alarm over how touts go about the streets of Lagos seizing people’s phones and demanding for ransom before releasing the phones.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, has ordered the immediate prosecution of 303 suspects arrested across the Lagos metropolis for phone snatching and other crimes.
Some Lagos residents including popular filmmaker, Biodun Stephen, had raised the alarm over how touts go about the streets of Lagos seizing people’s phones and demanding for ransom before releasing the phones.
Touts are now seizing people’s phones and demanding for ransom on the streets of Lagos — Filmmaker Biodun Stephen
— Instablog9ja (@instablog9ja) April 5, 2024
The concerned residents had also lamented that sometimes victims lost their phones to the touts and also got beaten when they could not pay the demanded ransom for the snatched phones.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin in a statement issued on Monday said that operatives of the state police command raided some criminal hideouts where 303 suspected criminal elements.
Hundeyin said that CP Fayoade therefore directed all Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs), especially in identified areas to redouble security architecture and enhance their neighborhood and foot patrol within their areas of responsibility (AORs) to tackle this emerging menace.
The police commissioner gave the charge during an early morning meeting with all Area/Squadron/Tactical Commanders and DPOs on Monday.
“The CP has further warned that any officer in whose AOR such an incident occurs again would be severely sanctioned, assuring that the Command remains unrelenting in its resolve and determination to continue to stamp out, and make the public space hot for criminal elements.
“The Lagos State Police Command uses this opportunity to commend everyone who brought this menace to the notice of relevant authorities and further encourages all Lagosians to continue to say something when they see something.
“Meanwhile, CP Fayoade has ordered the immediate prosecution of 303 suspects arrested over the weekend during raids across the state, after a careful screening process. The raids were carried out by Area Commanders, DPOs and the Rapid Response Squad (RRS),” Hundeyin added.