The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has apprehended the driver of a notorious ‘one-chance’ syndicate involved in robbing unsuspecting passengers. The syndicate operated using a commercial bus with the license plate KSF 56 XL.
Adebayo Taofiq, LASTMA’s Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, shared the news in a statement on X.com on Tuesday.
The arrest took place on Funsho Williams Avenue in Surulere, Lagos, following an incident in which a female passenger, Bibian Emelifonwu, was victimized by the group while traveling to work on Tuesday morning.
In her account, Miss Emelifonwu explained that she boarded the bus and sat beside a male passenger holding a nylon bag near the driver’s seat.
Pretending to open the front door, the man covertly leaned against her and stole her phone from her bag. After the theft, the criminals callously pushed her out of the moving vehicle onto the highway.
LASTMA officers who witnessed the incident immediately chased the fleeing bus and succeeded in capturing the driver, Toyib Ogunjobi.
However, his accomplices, including the conductor and another passenger, managed to escape.
During questioning, Ogunjobi confessed to being the leader of a three-man syndicate, which included the bus owner.
He explained that the gang targeted passengers by offering low fares on the Costain-Ojota route, before stealing their belongings and ejecting them from the bus while it was still in motion.
Ogunjobi further revealed that the syndicate earned between ₦250,000 and ₦300,000 daily by selling stolen phones and valuables.
He also noted that similar one-chance operations are rampant across Lagos, indicating the widespread nature of the crime.
Seven stolen phones, including models such as Techno Pop, Samsung AZZ, Intel A623, Techno Spark, Techno Pounoir, and Samsung devices, were recovered during the arrest.
LASTMA’s General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, praised the officers for their quick and effective response. He stated that Ogunjobi would be handed over to law enforcement agencies for further investigation and prosecution.
Bakare-Oki also advised Lagos residents to remain vigilant when boarding vehicles, urging caution not only with commercial buses but also with private cars that may have malicious intentions.
