Lagos And Its Restless Phone Thieves

In recent times, the Lagos State Police Command has been able to drastically reduce the crime rate in Lagos. Of the phone thieves that still operate in Lagos, a substantial amount of them thrive in Oshodi.

They live and survive stealing phones through pickpocketing and snatching of mobile phones from commuters in commercial buses and private cars.

They walk the length and breadth of Oshodi at dawn, afternoon and night in search of victims.

At dawn, particularly, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, which are their peak moments, they snatch with delight and dexterity.

Occasionally at night, they rob in groups often wielding weapons and stripping their victims of any valuable.

They trail and monitor their targets till he or she makes the costly mistake of making a call or positions himself or herself appropriately to be pickpocketed.

Bolade, Under Bridge to Oshodi Oke, are their hot spots. They are always difficult to identify until they have accomplished their mission – steal your phones and disappear from the scene immediately.

Their intentions are hardly noticeable unless you are familiar with them. They would steal and steal until they are satisfied with the day’s taking. The traders in Oshodi know them and on most occasions see them in action, but they dare not mention it for fear of reprisal attacks.

These stolen phones end up in Akala, Mushin or Computer Village, Ikeja as London used phones, repackaged and polished for unsuspecting phone users.

The testimonies of those that were arrested by the men of Rapid Response Squad almost on daily basis shows that they are always in relentless search of victims.

Apart from those who sleep in parks and the Under Bridge of Oshodi, some of them migrate from Mushin and Sango daily to pickpocket and snatch phones and wallets in Oshodi.

One interesting group of these thieves operate in Oshodi Oke. They endear you to themselves in order to steal from you. Most times, they pretend to be helping you either to carry your load or get into bus while they stylishly steal your valuables.

It is challenging, no matter how many of them have been arrested, they always return, regroup and retrain themselves on their new found tactics.

However, RRS is not relenting, our officers are strategically positioned in Oshodi Oke, Under Bridge and Bolade, monitoring them.

These restless phone thieves are always on the prowl. Beware!