The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has successfully arrested a three-man armed robbery syndicate notorious for employing the deceptive use of the city’s iconic yellow-and-black buses, commonly known as ‘danfo,’ to carry out their criminal activities.
The director of LASTMA’s Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq, revealed that the criminals would pose as public transporters, with two members acting as the driver and conductor, while the third feigned being a regular passenger.
According to a report, once on board, the victims would fall prey to their violent attacks, resulting in injuries and the theft of their belongings.
“The perpetrators would then either drop the victims off in a secluded area or push them off a moving vehicle,” the report says
The criminals’ luck finally ran out when vigilant passersby intervened, chasing them down after witnessing a victim being forcibly pushed off a moving bus.
While two members of the armed robbery syndicate were successfully apprehended at the popular U-turn area with their operational vehicle, a painted ‘T4’ commercial bus (APP 406 YE), the third managed to escape, carrying dangerous weapons and a P.O.S machine used in their illicit activities.
Preliminary investigations conducted by LASTMA uncovered that the criminals were specifically targeting the Abule-Egba area and its surroundings.
The public swift response, coupled with the effective coordination of LASTMA officials managing traffic around the Abule-Egba axis, ultimately led to the capture of the two suspects.
The arrested criminals were subsequently handed over to the police at the ‘Ile-Epo’ Police Division for further investigation.
LASTMA General Manager, Bakare Oki Olalekan, seized the opportunity to appeal to the public, particularly commuters, urging them to exercise increased vigilance and avoid boarding commercial buses by the roadside, commonly known as ‘So-le.’