There was an outrage among policemen at the Lagos State Police Command recently, after a police sergeant ran into the command, moments after robbing a lady of her handbag.
The sergeant, Oluseyi (surname withheld), was attached to ‘A Department’ at the state Police Command.
According to sources, Oluseyi was a serial thief, who allegedly used to target females standing along the road.
Whenever he robs ladies of their handbags and other valuables, he would drive off in his white Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), leaving them screaming and crying. He would go for another victim or would drive straight to command, where his office was located.
Once he drives into the police command headquarters, he would change his clothes and put on his uniform.
However, nemesis caught up with him after one of his victims traced him to the command. Although the lady was confused when she was finally presented with Oluseyi because he had changed his clothes, she, however, was sure of his car type and colour.
She also recollected three numbers in his number plate. When Oluseyi’s car was searched by policemen who were already getting angry with the lady’s supposed wild allegations, several female handbags, shoes, phones and panties were discovered.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, had also been hearing about the serial thief, preying on ladies, he, however, never bargained it would be one of his men.
Owoseni was so angry with the sergeant that he ordered his arrest. Oluseyi faced orderly room trial and was dismissed.
A police source said: “Every morning, the sergeant would drive his SUV around. He mostly frequents Ikeja GRA, where he hunts for women. Whenever he sees a lone female, waiting for transportation, he would stop and ask her where she was going.
Once she tells him, he would claim he was going the same way. After driving for a while, he would do something that would make his car to start jerking.
He would stop, get down and pretend to check the car’s engine. “He would go back to the driver’s seat and ask the lady to step down. He would beg her to check if the car’s headlights were working.
Immediately the lady steps down, he would drive away, taking along her handbag and other valuables left on her seat.” Ironically, whenever these incidents occur, most of the victims would start trekking and begging for money in order to get home.
Many of them used to find themselves at the Police Officers’ Mess in GRA. There they narrated their experiences to policemen who were on duty at the gate.
The stories got to Owoseni and his Personal Assistant (PA).
These policemen have gotten used to hearing such stories, but they didn’t know one of them was committing the crimes. During days, weeks and months that the policemen heard these complaints, it dawned on them that the descriptions of the car and the thief ’s modus operandi were the same as recounted by the women.
On the day that Oluseyi played the same game on his last victim, the lady, who was returning from a night club, also started trekking, looking for means to go home. She found herself at the Police Officers’ Mess.
Like other victims, she narrated her experience. Unlike other women, the lady was able to memorise three numbers of the number plate.
Trying to assist in his little way for her to get home, Owoseni’s PA gave her some money. Moments after she got to PWD area, not too far from Lagos Command Headquarters, she sighted the white SUV.
She pursued and started hitting the windscreen for Oluseyi to stop, but the sergeant recognised her and knocked her down with his car. He then zoomed off. The police source said:
“She quickly flagged down a tricycle and told him to go after the vehicle. When she saw Oluseyi at PWD, he was already with another lady inside his car.
They chased the jeep around, until they saw it again. This time, it was driving inside the police headquarters. She got down from the tricycle and attempted to enter the command.
Policemen on sentry duties refused to allow her inside. She told them that a man in a white SUV, who robbed her that morning, just drove into the command. They didn’t believe her story.” The lady went back to Owoseni’s PA at Police Officers’ Mess, to tell him that she sighted the driver who robbed her.
With the PA in tow, the lady entered the command and easily identified the white SUV because she had memorised three of the numbers. “When they brought Oluseyi, she was confused because he had already changed his clothes.
She said the man wore red sweater. Oluseyi had put on his police uniform. Oluseyi was angry and told her that she was embarrassing him. The CP’s PA told him to shut up. The car was searched and a red sweater discovered.
The sweater was what he wore when he picked the lady,” said the police source.
Further search of the vehicles, yielded several women handbags, panties and phones. She picked her phones from among the lot. She said the phone belonged to her sister.
The first number on the call log was dialled and her sister picked it. However, when contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Dolapo Badmus, denied the report.
