…Suspect Confesses Attempted Burglary At Nearby Commercial Bank
In a sting operation, the Lagos State Police Command has arrested an 18-year-old suspect for threatening and demanding a N20m ransom from Ojokoro Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of the state.
The State’s Commissioner of Police, CP Fatai Tijani, disclosed this during a briefing on Tuesday at the command headquarters in Ikeja.
It was gathered that the suspect had written a letter to the Ojokoro Council, demanding N20million ransom otherwise the secretariat would be attacked and burgled.
The suspect was said to have threatened that the council would suffer similar fate of a nearby commercial bank which was recently burgled if the ransom was unpaid.
Giving details, CP Tijani said the arrest followed a carefully executed decoy operation by police operatives.
According to him, the command received a complaint from Ojokoro LCDA concerning a threat to life and a demand for N20m.
“Acting on the information, operatives were immediately deployed to track and apprehend the suspect.
“The suspect was apprehended on March 27 while attempting to collect the ransom during a sting operation.
“Items recovered from him include an HP laptop and a flash drive, which are currently being examined as part of ongoing investigations,” he said.
The commissioner said the suspect confessed to the crime and also admitted involvement in a previous attempted burglary at a commercial bank.
He added that the arrest formed part of the command’s intensified efforts to combat kidnapping, extortion and related violent crimes across the state.
CP Tijani assured that investigations were ongoing to uncover possible accomplices and establish the full extent of the suspects’ criminal activities.
He said the suspect would be prosecuted upon completion of the investigations.
The commissioner also reiterated the command’s commitment to maintaining law and order.
He warned criminal elements to desist from activities capable of threatening public safety, adding that the police would continue intelligence-led operations across the state.
