Officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, have apprehended a member of the notorious “One-Chance” syndicate that operated on a yellow colour painted commercial bus to rob unsuspecting passengers of their valuables.
The arrest happened around Conoil Filling Station, along Funsho Williams Avenue, Surulere, Lagos, following a distress call by a female passenger, Miss Bibian Emelifonwu, who fell victim to the syndicate’s act en route to work.
Recounting her ordeal, Emelifonwu disclosed that she boarded the bus with registration number KSF 56 XL and sat beside a male passenger holding a nylon bag in the front seat next to the driver. Under the pretext of opening the front door beside her, the man surreptitiously leaned on her and deftly removed her phone from her bag.
Having successfully executed the theft, the criminals heartlessly ejected her from the moving vehicle onto the highway. Fortunately, a vigilant team of LASTMA officers overseeing traffic in the area witnessed the incident.
They swiftly pursued the fleeing bus, ultimately apprehending the driver, identified as Toyib Ogunjobi, while his accomplices who are the conductor and another passenger narrowly escaped.
When interrogated, Ogunjobi confessed to leading a three-person syndicate, which included the bus owner. He revealed that their modus operandi involved enticing passengers with low fares on the Costain-Ojota route, stealing their belongings, and forcibly ejecting them from the vehicle while in motion. He disclosed that they generated between N250,000 and N300,000 daily by selling stolen phones and valuables from passengers.
Ogunjobi also disclosed that similar One-Chance operations are proliferating across the state, illustrating the pervasive nature of this criminal enterprise.
In the process, seven stolen phones, comprising models such as Techno Pop, Samsung AZZ, Intel A623, Techno Spark, Techno Pounoir, and Samsung devices, were recovered from Ogunjobi during his arrest. He also admitted that the vehicle’s owner was involved in the operation.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, commended the officers for their swift and commendable action, which prevented further harm to innocent commuters.
Therefore, he urged Lagos residents to be extra vigilant when boarding vehicles, stressing the need for caution not only with commercial buses but also with private vehicles that may harbour ill intent.
Bakare-Oki also urged members of the public to call the recently launched LASTMA toll-free hotline at 0800-005-27862 for prompt action concerning traffic-related issues, emergencies, vehicle breakdowns, and obstructions.