Lagos State.
Sodiq who was arrested on Wednesday when the operatives of the Lagos
State Taskforce arrested him and one other serial pickpocket disclosed
they make N80,000 daily from their operations, using commercial
vehicles (Danfo) as a guise.
The suspects Sodiq Olagoke and Lucas Patrick, 26 were arrested by
operatives of the agency after they had dispossessed eight
unsuspecting commuters of their phones around Oshodi/Ikeja Along axis.
Sodiq who claims to be a painter by profession passed down to him from
his father said that he has been in the pickpocket business for over a
year and boasts of a daily bounty of 80,000 Naira per day which he
splits with his partner in crime.
According to the suspect, “We operate mainly on Tuesdays and Fridays
because those are the busiest days of the week and there is usually a
lot of hustle and bustle at the bus stops”.
“Passengers who make use of their phones while in our bus are usually
falsely alerted by the conductor that there is a fight going on in
front which would make the passenger pocket the phone then we steal
it”, he stated.
The second suspect, Lucas Patrick who plays the role of the driver
also disclosed that pickpocketing t is a very lucrative business for
him.
“We make a lot of money from it but unfortunately we spend our
proceeds on drinks, women and gambling”.
“I was originally a driver of a Danfo bus but when I came across Sodiq
one day when he operated successfully in my bus I decided to go into
partnership with him. I drive him around while he steals the phones
from the passengers”.
The Lagos State Task Force Chairman, Shola Jejeloye, a Chief
Superintendent of Police disclosed that the suspects who were roving
the said axis in their Danfo commercial bus looked suspicious and his
officers noticed both the driver and the two male passengers seemed
uneasy after driving past the officers.
The officers said, “We kept on their trail for a few minutes before
double crossing their vehicle at Oshodi, leading to all three
occupants taking to their heels. Two out of the three suspects were
arrested with the assistance of passers-by around and we found eight
different mobile phones belonging to different unsuspecting passengers
who boarded their vehicle.’’
