Policeman Sacked For Stealing Seized Motorcycle

The Lagos State Police Command has dismissed a Police Corporal, Gboroye Folagbade, with Force number 444123, who allegedly stole a seized motorcycle while enforcing the state’s new traffic law, in Ikorodu area of Lagos.
The Operation Officer of the division seized the motorcycle from one Saheed Owolabi, over his violation of the new traffic law, late last year.
Efforts by Owolabi to recover the bike failed, as he was informed that it had been transferred to Alausa for crushing.
But on January 10, 2013, Owolabi reportedly found his motorbike with another rider identified as Ismail Olomitutu, around Anibaba area of Ikorodu and raised alarm.
Olomitutu confessed to have bought the motorcycle from Corporal Folagbade at the rate of N55,000.
Irked by the incident, the visibly angry Command’s boss, Mr Umar Manko, ordered Folagbade to be tried in an orderly room over what was described as a discreditable offence.
Confirming the dismissal, spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, Ngozi Braide, said: “The offence is contrary to paragraph (E) of the first schedule of Police Act and Regulation 370, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command promptly reviewed the proceedings and upheld the findings of guilt and thereby approved subject’s dismissal from the force with effect from 16/1/2013.
All police uniforms and other accoutrements have been retrieved from the suspect and has been arraigned with one other at Chief Magistrate Court II Ikorodu on 17/01/2013 in Charge No.
IKD/B/05/2013.
Command uncovers robbers warehouse
Meantime, operatives of the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Yaba, have uncovered a hideout used as warehouse by a notorious robbery gang which specialized in attacking vehicles spare parts being imported into the country, somewhere in Maya village in Ikorodu area of Lagos.
Consequently, the operatives have arrested five suspected members of the gang.
Recovered from the gang’s hideout was a lorry loaded with Honda automobile parts, suspected to have been stolen and house breaking implements.
During interrogation, spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Ngozi Braide, said the robbers confessed to have been responsible for the operation at an automobile company last June, along the Oshodi/Apapa expressway, where assorted Honda vehicles parts valued at N28. 8 million were carted away.
The suspects, she said, had been on the command’s wanted list. The suspects, Okwudili Godwin Obina Ilojebe, Ikem Ejimofor, Ndubusi Ike and Ejimofor Nwampa, attacked security guards at Honda Place Company on June 31, 2012 at Plot 9, Block ‘A’, Rainbow bus-stop, along Oshodi/Apapa expressway, where they carted away automobile parts.
“We have been on their trail, until they were arrested following a tip off at about 4a.m, yesterday,” she said.
Braide further disclosed that policemen attached to Alakara division also stormed another shop at Oyekunle Street used as armoury by bandits.
Two locally-made pistols with 58 cartridges, according to her, were recovered in the shop. But no arrest was made as the shop owner was nowhere to be found.
She, however, said policemen were on the shop owner’s trail, adding that operatives at SCID had begun investigation into the recovery.