The police have arrested a suspected robbery kingpin allegedly terrorising bank customers at Egbe and Ikotun areas of Lagos.
A ring leader of a car snatching syndicate, identified as Francis Abubakar, has also been nabbed by the detectives attached to Satellite Town Division.
A statement yesterday by spokesman Bala Elkana, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said the suspected robbery kingpin was arrested last Friday shortly after his gang allegedly attacked customers outside Access Bank, near the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) junction at Ejigbo.
He said: “Patrol teams sent from Ejigbo Police Station to reinforce the mobile policemen on duty at the bank engaged the robbers in a gun battle. The robbers were overpowered and they fled on their motorcycles. They were chased to Egbe where their ring leader was arrested with bullet wounds, while others escaped.
“One Brownie pistol with a live ammunition was recovered from the suspect. The sum of N250,000 earlier snatched from a female victim was recovered and handed over to her.
“The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) has taken over the investigation and efforts are on to nab other fleeing members of the gang.”
The police said the suspected car snatcher was arrested around 11:10pm on Friday when his gang attempted to snatch a Peugeot 307 saloon car from the owner at Mosalachi, on the Badagry Expressway.
“Francis Abubakar, the ring leader of the gang, was arrested. A locally-made shotgun was recovered from the suspect. The Peugeot 307 saloon car was recovered and handed over to the owner. SARS has taken over the case with a view to apprehending other members of the gang. Investigation is ongoing. The suspects will be arraigned.”