EXCLUSIVE: Police Arrest 300 Armed Robbery Suspects in Six Months, Recover 9000 Ammunition

Lagos PRO

The Lagos State Police Command yesterday disclosed that it has arrested about 300 suspected armed robbers in the first half of the year as against 244 arrested around the same period last year. This is just as the command in the last six months also foiled 207 armed robbery attempts and recovered 235 arms and about 9000 rounds of ammunition against 160 arms and 948 ammunition recovered around the same period last year.

Meanwhile, 187 murder cases were recorded in the state in the first six months of the year as against 133 recorded last year. Confirming the statistics, the state Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, said the achievement made so far in mopping up criminals in the state was a clear indication of the command's efforts towards making armed robbery unattractive in Lagos.

The police boss attributed the decline in armed robbery cases to the commitment of the personnel who has been working assiduously for the greater good of the citizenry. 

He however added that in the last few months, the command recorded 30 armed robbery incidents as  against 54 recorded in the same period last year, which he also indicated crime reduction in the state.

The CP further disclosed that at least 81 suspected armed robbers were shot dead during encounters with police as against 59 recorded last year. 

He however lamented that 24 policemen lost their lives in the various encounters with the bandits as against five who lost their lives around the same time last year.

On stolen vehicles, he said 206 vehicles were snatched at gunpoints, 307 vehicles removed from where they were parked while two vehicles were driven away by drivers during the period as against 239, 227 and eight respectively recorded last year.

He said 509 of the stolen vehicles were recovered by the command as against 367 recovered around the same time last year. 

While expressing optimism that the command would continue to record greater achievement in the remaining part of the year, Manko called for public cooperation with the police to enable them work more effectively.