Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested seven suspects in connection with the brutal killings of two Uber drivers in the Lekki and Ajah areas of the state.
The State Commissioner of Police, Mr Olarenwaju Ishola, confirmed the arrests on Saturday during a briefing with the media, outlining recent successes of the command.
Ishola revealed that the police had apprehended two separate syndicates involved in the killings. A four-man gang and a three-man gang were arrested for allegedly murdering the two drivers in unrelated incidents.
The first syndicate, consisting of Emeka Akwara, 19; David Segun, 21; Samuel Ariori, 21; and Lukman Ariori, 19, was responsible for the murder of an Uber driver in Lekki. On January 9, the suspects had ordered an Uber ride at Chevron in the Lekki area, intending to travel to Obalende. Upon reaching a secluded location in Obalende, they robbed and fatally stabbed the driver multiple times in the neck. Despite attempting to steal the vehicle, they were unsuccessful.
- President Tinubu jets out again, off to Abu Dhabi
- ‘A Birth Like No Other’: Woman Gives Birth in Car at 60mph
A good Samaritan and a passerby intervened, leading to the immediate arrest of two suspects, who were handed over to the police. Further investigation led to the arrest of the remaining two suspects. The deceased’s body was taken to the morgue at Mainland Hospital Yaba, and a Toyota Camry, registration AGL 650 HN, along with several knives, were recovered from the suspects.
Ishola stated that investigations are still ongoing.
In another incident, a three-man gang was arrested for the murder of another Uber driver, Oluwaseyi Fowler, on September 12. The suspects, Edmond Julius, 34; Abdullahi Umar, 32; and Saturday Oke, 40, were apprehended for kidnapping the driver at the Ajah area of Lagos, killing him, and stealing his Toyota Camry. They later sold the car to a criminal receiver. The suspects led the police to the decomposed body of the deceased, and the stolen vehicle was recovered.
The suspects have been charged to court, and Ishola warned drivers of ride-hailing services, including Uber, Taxify, and LagRide, to remain vigilant when interacting with passengers. He advised drivers to avoid carrying more than one passenger at a time and to insist that the passenger sit in the front seat and undergo a search.
“This is the third such case reported or detected in the past three months, and we don’t know how many others have occurred,” Ishola said.
The Commissioner also announced that the police command plans to organise a meeting with drivers to provide security tips and precautionary measures to ensure their safety.
