A 28-year-old suspected armed robber, Victor Okafor, has been arrested by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command after he allegedly crashed a stolen motorcycle while fleeing a robbery scene in the Ijanikin area of Lagos.
According to reports, Okafor, who was recently released from the Kirikiri Correctional Centre for a similar offence, was apprehended by an angry mob and later handed over to the Commissioner of Police Tactical Team during an anti-robbery operation on June 18, 2025.
Police sources said the suspect and two accomplices, still at large, had robbed one Oseni Hassan of his Bajaj motorcycle, valued at ₦750,000, at gunpoint before the incident.
Investigators revealed that during the gang’s escape, Okafor lost control of the stolen motorcycle and fell, sustaining minor injuries. His accomplices allegedly fled the scene with the stolen bike, leaving him behind.
Residents who witnessed the incident chased and caught Okafor, recovering a double-barrel pistol and two live cartridges from him before police operatives arrived.
“He fell off the motorcycle during the getaway and was caught by members of the public. He was handed over to our tactical team for investigation,” a police source confirmed.
During interrogation, Okafor reportedly confessed to belonging to a robbery syndicate that specializes in snatching motorcycles from riders at gunpoint in different parts of Lagos.
He told detectives that the firearm used during the operation was provided by one Abbey, who escaped with the stolen bike, while another associate, Allen, regularly supplied them with live ammunition.
Okafor also admitted that the group had stolen and sold about seven motorcycles to a criminal receiver identified as Ibrahim, based in Alaba Rago, a known black market area in Lagos.
Following investigations, the suspect was charged before the Ogba Magistrate Court on a two-count charge of conspiracy and armed robbery, offences punishable under Sections 299 and 297 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The charges read in part:
Count I: “That you, Victor Okafor ‘m’ and others now at large, on June 18, 2025, at about 2000hrs, at Ijanikin area, Lagos, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: armed robbery, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 299 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”
Count II: “That you, Victor Okafor ‘m’ and others now at large, on the same date, time and place, whilst armed with a gun, did rob one Bajaj motorcycle with registration number LSR 77 KTU valued at ₦750,000, property of one Oseni Hassan ‘m’, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 296 and punishable under Section 297 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”
The prosecutor, Supol Philip Ademigbuji, informed the court that the case should be referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice, noting that the alleged crime is a capital offence.
The presiding magistrate, Mrs. O. Kusanu, declined to take Okafor’s plea and ordered that he be remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre pending the outcome of the DPP’s report.
She also directed the prosecution to duplicate the case file and forward it to the DPP’s office for legal review. The matter was adjourned for mention, pending receipt of the DPP’s advice to determine whether it will be transferred to the High Court.
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