The Lagos State Police Command has apprehended a gang of robbers for allegedly targeting and robbing three commercial sex workers on Adeniran Ogunsanya Street, Bode Thomas, Surulere Local Government Area of the state.
The state command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed on Friday that the two suspects, whose identities were not disclosed, were taken into custody on August 28, 2024, for their involvement in the crime.
PUNCH Online gathered that on August 23, 2024, around 4.30 pm, the suspects allegedly picked up the three sex workers from Adeniran Ogunsanya Street in Bode Thomas, seeking their services.
Pretending to drive the sex workers to a location where they falsely claimed to be staying, the suspects abruptly stopped the vehicle midway, leaving the victims in shock.
After stopping the vehicle, the suspects allegedly robbed the sex workers of their valuables, including two iPhones worth N1.5m , a Redmi Note 12 valued at N140,000, and an iPhone XR valued at N240,000.
According to the police, the victims were coerced into transferring additional N25,000 and N8,000 to a single account provided by the suspects during the incident.
Hundeyin stated, “The victims reported recognising the suspects who had robbed them. They stated that they were picked up as commercial sex workers on Adeniran Ogunsanya Street, Bode Thomas. The suspects were arrested.
“During the investigation, the suspects confessed to the crime. One of the victims’ phones, a Redmi Note 13, a Toyota Camry (golden colour) with the number plate APP 335 JA, and two other blank plates used in their operations have been recovered.”
PUNCH Online reports that incidents involving robbers and sex workers are not uncommon in Lagos and Ogun States.
In 2018, operatives of the Rapid Response Team apprehended a gang of robbers who specialised in stealing from sex workers in Ogun State and selling the stolen items to other sex workers in Lagos.