The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, has revealed why some quick witted policemen, attached to his command, accepted N500, 000 bribe from two desperate suspects. These daring suspects, Cissey Ibrahim, 39, and Taofeek Babatunde, desperate to evade arrest, first offered the policemen N300, 000, but the policemen told them that they needed to discuss further.
The policemen stepped aside, conferred and returned to the suspects minutes later. Before the policemen returned to the suspects, they agreed to use available means to further nail the suspects. The policemen told the suspects to bring additional N200, 000. Immediately the policemen collected the balance, they urged the suspects to follow them to the police station.
When they got to the police station, they were arrested and detained. The suspects were first arrested for allegedly vandalising cables belonging to the Nigeria Telecommunication Commission.
They are however now being held for vandalism of government property and offering bribe to law enforcement officers. Owoseni said the suspects were caught vandalising, cutting, stealing and loading NITEL underground cables into their truck, along Water Works Road, besides the Ikeja High Court.
Owoseni said: “When these suspects were accosted, they offered the policemen N500, 000, bribe. The policemen played along with them. The policemen pretended as if they would collect the money, but cleverly led them to the office of their Divisional Police Station (DPO). The policemen recovered tools used in cutting the underground cables.
They also recovered the suspects’ operational truck, which was already loaded with the cables Owoseni said that there was a third suspect, named Wasiu Salami, still at large. He said policemen were already on the trail of the fleeing suspect. Narrating how he became a guest of the police, Ibrahim said: “I’m a scrap dealer. I buy iron, copper, zinc and all.
Yesterday, some guys came to me and said they had a big market for me; these guys usually bring market for me, but usually in small quantity. When they came, they said they brought a big market, which would fetch me a lot of money.
They told me that they were doing the business with a police patrol team. Even before I accepted, they made me to speak with the policemen on phone. I followed them to the agreed venue at night. I didn’t know they were going to vandalise government cables. The only thing I used to do is to buy and sell. Everyone knows me for that. I don’t steal.” Ibrahim continued his narration: “When we got there, the patrol team was there.
The guys who brought me into the business were also there. They had already started working. I left there and went to a club located at Computer Village to relax. After a while, I returned to join them. Another patrol team came. The two patrol teams discussed at length with each other. They asked me how much I was willing to pay.
I told them to say how much they wanted; so I’ll be able to know if I could afford it. They told me to pay N300,000. I didn’t have up to that amount. I had only N250, 000. I had to go back home, to raise the money. I returned and gave it to them. The guys that introduced me to the business were still around; they were the people that loaded all the cables into the truck.”
He further said: “They said the money I gave them wasn’t enough. They said I should pay additional N200,000. I had to go and meet some of my friends to raise the N200,000, to make the money N500,000.”
Ibrahim said that immediately the policemen collected the money from him, they asked him and the driver of the truck to follow them. “The people who introduced me to the business ran away and abandoned me. I don’t know where they live; I don’t even know the driver whom I was arrested along with. That day, was my first time of setting eyes on the driver.”
Source: Tribune
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