The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) on Tuesday arrested a notorious “One-Chance” syndicate that used a painted commercial bus to rob unsuspecting passengers of their valuables as part of a resolute crackdown on criminal operations targeting commuters.
The arrest was made near a Conoil Filling Station along Funsho Williams Avenue in Surulere, Lagos, after a distressing incident involving a female passenger, Miss Bibian Emelifonwu, who was betrayed by the syndicate while traveling to work earlier in the morning.
Miss Emelifonwu recounted how she boarded the bus and sat next to a male passenger who had a nylon bag in the front seat next to the driver.
The man then leaned on her and skillfully took her phone from her bag while pretending to open the front door.
Once the theft was successfully carried out, the criminals brutally threw her from the moving vehicle onto the highway.
Luckily, a group of alert LASTMA officers monitoring the traffic in the area saw the scene and quickly chased down the escaping bus, catching the driver, Toyib Ogunjobi, while his accomplices, the “conductor” and another “passenger,” escaped.
During questioning, Ogunjobi confessed to being the head of a three-person syndicate, which included the bus’s owner, and their method was to lure passengers with cheap fares on the Costain-Ojota route in Lagos, steal their belongings, and then violently eject them from the vehicle while it was moving.
Ogunjobi further acknowledged that the network sold stolen phones and valuables for between ₦250,000 and ₦300,000 every day. In order to demonstrate the widespread nature of the illegal activity, he further revealed that other One-Chance syndicates are functioning throughout Lagos State.
During his arrest, Ogunjobi was found in possession of seven stolen phones, including Samsung AZZ, Techno Pop, Techno Spark, Techno Pounoir, and Intel A623 models. Additionally, he acknowledged that the owner of the car had a direct hand in the operation.
Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, the General Manager of LASTMA, praised the police for their prompt and admirable response, which shielded innocent travelers from additional injury. He called on Lagos citizens to board cars with extra caution, stressing that private vehicles that might be carrying malicious intent should also be avoided, in addition to commercial buses.
Bakare-Oki also reaffirmed that the public can report traffic-related issues, such as emergencies, car breakdowns, and obstacles, to the agency by calling the newly established LASTMA toll-free hotline, 0800-005-27862.