The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has arrested the driver of a notorious one-chance syndicate that uses a commercial bus with number plate KSF 56 XL to rob unsuspecting passengers of their valuables.
The agency’s Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq, disclosed this in a statement on X.com on Tuesday.
It revealed that the arrest occurred along Funsho Williams Avenue in the Surulere area of the state following an incident involving a female passenger, Bibian Emelifonwu, who was a victim of the syndicate while commuting to work on Tuesday morning.
The statement partly read, “Recounting her ordeal, Miss Emelifonwu disclosed that she boarded the bus and sat beside a male passenger holding a nylon bag in the front seat next to the driver. Under the pretext of opening the front door beside her, the man surreptitiously leaned on her and deftly removed her phone from her bag.
Having successfully executed the theft, the criminals heartlessly ejected her from the moving vehicle onto the highway.”
A team of LASTMA officers in the area who witnessed the incident were said to have immediately pursued the fleeing bus, ultimately apprehending the driver, identified as Toyib Ogunjobi, while his accomplices—the conductor and another passenger—managed to escape.
During interrogation, Ogunjobi reportedly admitted to leading a three-man syndicate, which included the owner of the bus, whom he said was actively involved in their operations.
He revealed that their modus operandi involved enticing passengers with low fares on the Costain-Ojota route, stealing their belongings, and forcibly ejecting them from the vehicle while in motion,” the statement disclosed.
The suspect was said to have further confessed that the syndicate generated between ₦250,000 and ₦300,000 daily by selling stolen phones and valuables.
He reportedly disclosed that similar one-chance operations are proliferating across Lagos State, illustrating the pervasive nature of this criminal enterprise.
Seven stolen phones, which comprised models such as Techno Pop, Samsung AZZ, Intel A623, Techno Spark, Techno Pounoir, and Samsung devices, were said to have been recovered during the arrest.
In the statement, LASTMA’s General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, was said to have lauded the officers for their swift and commendable action, noting that the apprehended driver would be handed over to law enforcement agencies for thorough investigation and prosecution.
He also urged Lagos residents to exercise heightened vigilance when boarding vehicles, emphasising the need for caution not only with commercial buses but also with private vehicles that may harbour ill intent.
(PUNCH)