Lagos residents have been warned to ensure circumspection when employing domestic workers, and to allow proper profiling of their domestic employees by the police.
Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr Fatai Owoseni gave the warning Friday, disclosing that some of the militants/kidnappers dislodged from creeks now disguise as private security guards.
Owoseni said the police were already taking census of some of the estates where these kidnappers have been posted by their firms as guards, without knowing they were spying on victims.
He also disclosed that cases of criminality perpetrated by domestic helps were on the increase especially with respect to drivers fleeing with their employers’ vehicles.
The police boss warned estate managers, private guards to stop denying policemen on patrol, duty access into the premises, adding that the command was working with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to address anomalies.
Owoseni said: “Criminal elements and suspected militants/kidnappers have found themselves enlisted into services of private security company, where they choose the estates they want to go and work.
“It gives them platform to do monitoring and then give information to their cohorts outside. The command wants to advice Lagos residents on the need to profile domestic servants and drivers they employ.
“By doing that, they would be helping to secure themselves, protect valuables and assist the police in its quest to reduce crime to minimal level in Lagos.”
Giving details of arrests made by the command between Tuesday and Friday, Owoseni said a syndicate that advertises and present themselves as drivers in order to steal from their employers was apprehended.
He said: “They do so in connivance with guards in some of the houses they work as drivers. We got four members of the gang after a Hyundai jeep which was stolen from the owner’s home, was intercepted at Ondo State, enroute Abuja.
“Through diligent investigation, kingpin James Jacob was arrested. During interrogation, three others were arrested. On a serial basis, they give out themselves as drivers. After working for the family for some time, they steal the car or connive with guards.
“They have confessed that there are five other cars stolen in that manner. James Jacob has been paraded last year for a case of rape and stealing of vehicle. He raped his boss’ house help and stole the car. He was charged to court but unfortunately, he got bail and refused to learn his lessons.
“The gang had number plates belonging to government offices, which they use to move stolen vehicles to places they sell them.”
Owoseni also said the command through the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), arrested four suspected tricksters, armed robbers, who usually shoot their victims after luring them to particular locations under the guise of buying wares from them.
Wilfred Ehi, 30; Bright Eloho, 24; Olanrewaju Kamilu, 33 and Ekeme Gbmedu, 22, were arrested at Olamoti Hotel, Iyana-Iba by a decoy team.
They were said to have shot a policeman, who disguised as a phone seller and stood at a place they asked him to stay with the phone.
According to Owoseni, the command has received about 13 reports on the activities of the suspects, prompting an undercover operation to arrest them.
He said: “They ask the sellers to bring phones to the hotel. Once the person got there, they fire the person and collect the phone. They fired one of the policemen who carried phones to them as a seller. He was shot in the leg in the course of the operation.
“Police eventually had upper hand and kingpin of the syndicate was nabbed, leading to arrest of three others.
“A KIA Optimal saloon car, four expensive telephones, two wristwatches, a cannon E087D camera, laptop, WiFi and a wrap of weeds was recovered from them.
“We also arrested three suspects including the brother of producer, Seun Kareem alias Egbegbe for being his accomplices. The suspects, Lawal Kazeem, Olalekan Yusuf and Muyideen Shoyombo have confessed to the crime and would be charged to court.
“Five members of a syndicate that specialises in faking to be haulage contractors were arrested. The command has been on their trail until the last operation where the command worked with victim. “They present themselves as haulage contractors to big companies and individuals wanting to transport goods from Lagos to other parts of the country. They use their trucks or those of victims to carry goods, which they divert and sell around Shagamu and then, they take the trucks away.
“RRS tracked and arrested five suspects. Two of the diverted trucks were dismantled and sold to different spare-parts dealer. The two have been recovered. They confessed to other trucks they have diverted and butcher like that.
“Flour that was given to them to transport out of Lagos has been traced to the receiver. It has been recovered and worth N46m.”
