By Ben Ekezie
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested suspected armed robbers who were part of the gang that raided a popular nightclub in Ikeja, Lagos, on July 19, 2023.The suspects were identified as Salami Ahmed, Ismaila Adio, and Toheeb Muri. Seyi Olajide, Nelson Sunday, and James Nnamani were traced to their hideout, where weapons were recovered.According to police sources, the heavily armed gang, in the early hours of July 19, disguised as fun seekers at the club, overpowered the bouncers and private security personnel before raiding the club.Further investigations also revealed that the suspects derive pleasure from killing any security operatives found with an AK-47. They confessed to having killed several policemen and fled with their weapons.They were said to have been arrested several times by police and charged in court.
The command spokesman, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the incident, stated that further investigation revealed the same gang members were responsible for the killing of a police officer on August 3. “On the 3rd of August 2023 at about 2200hrs, based on intelligence gathering on the armed robbery incident around Airport Hotel Ikeja that led to the brutal murder of a police officer and the carting away of his rifle, operatives of the Command embarked on a discreet investigation and arrested one Salami Ahmed ‘m’ aged 30, Ismaila Adio ‘m’ aged 22, Toheeb Muri ‘m’ aged 23, Seyi Olajide ‘m’ aged 24, Nelson Sunday ‘m’ aged 34, and James Nnamani ‘m’ aged 24 at their hideout in Alagbado and Amikanle areas of Lagos State.”One AK47 rifle with twenty-one rounds of live ammunition was recovered. This syndicate is also responsible for robbing a popular nightclub in Ikeja on July 19, 2023.”
Recounting some of the success of the command, SP Hundeyin further stated: “From all the cases which we successfully cracked, we recovered a total of fourteen (14) firearms including two AK47 rifles, one of them locally fabricated, two (2) locally fabricated toy guns, fifteen (15) live cartridges, four (4) expended cartridges, twenty-five (25) live ammunition, five (5) machetes, thirty-four (34) bags of weed suspected to be Indian hemp, six (6) vehicles, two bags containing fake US Dollars, fake Pound Sterling note, two (2) award plaques from Buccaneer fraternity, one (1) Buccaneer banner, a pair of police camouflage uniform, a jack knife, police identity card, two hoods, black pipes some quantity of weed suspected to be Indian hemp and sixty-six kegs of fake Total engine oil.”
