Policemen attached to the Area ‘E’ Command of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested five suspects for allegedly stealing iron rods from a Chinese firm, China Construction Engineering Company, in the Iba area of the state.

That the suspects, while conveying the stolen items to a destination in the state, were accosted by policemen around 3am on Sunday.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said in a statement on Tuesday that the suspects offered N500,000 bribe to the policemen, who rejected the offer, adding that the management of CCEC identified the stolen items to be the firm’s property after being contacted by the command.

Adejobi said, “Police operatives attached to the Area ‘E’ Command, Festac, Lagos State, on April 11, 2021, around 3am, accosted five suspects in a Ford bus with number plate, FST 679 XZ, with some 25mm iron rods, property of China Construction Engineering Company, between Volks bus stop and Iyana Iba, Lagos State.

“The suspects were alleged to have offered a bribe of N500,000 to the police operatives, who rejected the offer and went ahead to arrest them with the stolen iron rods.

“The suspects are Lawal Saheed, 40; Taofeek Adenigba, 43; Ope Olowolayemo, 28; Azeez Jamie, 41; and Omotayo Adewale, 34. The items recovered from them were pieces of 25mm iron rods, one nozzle, one gas cylinder and a Ford bus with number plate FST 697 XZ. The management of the CCEC has been contacted by the police and identified the stolen items to be their property.

“The state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, ordered that the matter be thoroughly investigated and the suspects be charged as soon as possible.”

Similarly, police operatives attached to the Sagamu Road Division in Ikorodu, on Monday, April 12, 2021, around 12.45pm, arrested two suspects, Awosika Kehinde, 24, and Olatilewa Ayomide, 18, with a dummy pistol in the Sabo area of Ikorodu.

Adejobi said “The suspects were accosted by policemen on a motorcycle in the Sabo area of Ikorodu. After preliminary investigation, it was revealed that the suspects were using the dummy gun to scare their victims anytime they were on robbery operations, particularly in traffic. They are giving useful information to assist the police in the course of their investigation.

“Items recovered from them include one dummy Beretta pistol and some assorted charms. The Commissioner of Police has also directed that the suspects be transferred to the command’s Special Squad for thorough investigation.”