Lagos CP summons policeman accused by suspected robber

Inspector Festus, aka Ijaya, who a suspected robber, Akeem Popoola, says he works for, has been summoned by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni.

This is just as the command confirmed that the inspector’s full name is Festus Omotosho, adding that investigation had commenced into the allegation raised against him by the suspect.

Owoseni said Ijaya, who is attached to the command’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad, would be sanctioned accordingly if found culpable of the allegation.

Akeem’s account of how Ijaya gave him phones to sell to unsuspecting members of the public had earlier on been reported.

The 21-year-old suspect, who was arrested for burglary and robbery by the Agbado Police Division l, Ogun State, had told our correspondent that Ijaya in company with two others – Abbey and Aluko – would handcuff him after selling the phones and take him to the buyers.

He said the inspector would accuse the buyers of buying stolen property and demand a bribe of between N120,000 and N150,000 if they did not want to be charged with buying stolen property. He added that he got a N5,000 share for each successful deal.

He had said, “In November 2015, one of my father’s tenants and I fought. When my daddy came back home on that day, she reported me to him and he handed me over to Inspector Festus at the state police command headquarters, Ikeja. He told him I was too troublesome and wanted him to discipline me. But he (Ijaya) did not. He took me to a beer parlour at Alakuko and gave me N5,000. I was very surprised.

“Two days after, we met at another beer parlour around Agbado, where I was made to swear an oath. He brought out a gun and put some gin inside the barrel. He drank from it and gave me the gun to do same. He said he would be sending me on some errands. He gave me a mobile phone and drove me in his Toyota Camry to POWA complex in Ikeja.

“He told me to sell the phone inside the complex which I did for N20,000. After an hour, he handcuffed me and took me in his car with his boys – Abbey and Aluko – to the man that bought the phone. He arrested the man and told him to pay N200,000 if he did not want to be taken to the station. The man raised N150,000 among his friends in that complex and gave him.

“When we left there, he removed the handcuffs and gave me N5,000 and we departed.”

The suspect’s father, Ahmed Popoola, who confirmed that his son was a thief, said he had taken him to Ijaya so he could turn a new leaf.

The spokesperson for the Lagos Police Command, SP Dolapo Badmos, also said on Monday, that the CP had summoned Ijaya.

She added that the force would prosecute the inspector if he was found complicit in the crime.

She said, “Our officers are not identified by alias. The officer, Inspector Festus Omotosho, has been summoned by the CP and investigation has commenced into the issue as raised by the report. Be assured that if he is in any way culpable, the command will sanction him; and if it is evident that he has perpetrated any criminality, the leadership of the force will ensure that he is prosecuted.”