Seven people have been taken into custody by Lagos State Police Command operations for the alleged murders of two Uber drivers in the state’s Lekki and Ajah neighbourhoods.
While briefing reporters on the command’s recent accomplishments, State Commissioner of Police Mr. Olarenwaju Ishola verified this on Saturday.
A four-gang and a three-gang syndicate were detained by the police, he claimed, for allegedly killing two drivers in different occasions.
Ishola stated that a four-gang syndicate, consisting of 19-year-old Emeka Akwara, 21-year-old David Segun, 21-year-old Samuel Ariori, and 19-year-old Lukman Ariori, was captured by the police after they killed an Uber driver.
“On Jan. 9, the suspects ordered for an Uber at Chevron in the Lekki area – en-route Obalende.
“On getting to Obalende in a lonely area, they robbed and killed the driver by stabbing him multiple times in the neck, unfortunately they were unable to snatch the vehicle.
“With the intervention of good samaritan and passerby, two suspects were immediately apprehended and handed over to police and further investigation led to the arrest of other two fleeing suspects.
“The deceased corpse was deposited in the Morgue at Mainland Hospital Yaba and a Toyota Camry Big Daddy. AGL 650 HN and Knives were recovered from them, ” he stated.
The investigation is still going on, he said. Similarly, on September 12, Edmond Julius, 34; Abdullahi Umar, 32; and Saturday Oke, 40, were arrested as part of a gang that killed another Uber driver, Oluwaseyi Fowler, according to CP Ishola.
“Arrested suspects confessed that they kidnapped the driver at Ajah area of Lagos, murdered and robbed him of his Toyota camry.
“They sold the robbed Toyota camry car to their criminal receiver. They led the police to recover the decomposed body of the deceased and said Toyota Camry, ” he said.
The police chief claims that charges have been brought against the suspects. He cautioned Uber, Taxify, Lag Ride, and other drivers to be cautious of their passengers.
“If possible do not carry more than one passenger at a time and insist such a fellow is searched and make him sit at the front with you.
“This is just the third of its kind reported or detected in three months. We don’t know how many that have happened,” he stated.
He claims that the command would call all drivers involved in these actions and provide them with security advice for preventative measures.