MICHAEL AKINOLA
A 28-year old suspected notorious armed robber, Victor Okafor, suffered a set back after he had an accident during an armed robbery operation with his gang members and he fell down while trying to escape with a motorcycle they had robbed from a victim during the operation.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the mob apprehended and handed him over to the Commissioner of Police Tactical team of the Lagos State Command for armed robbery.
The incident happened on 18th June, 2025, at Ijanikin area of Lagos.
According to the Police, the suspect, Victor Okafor, was arrested at Ketu area of ljanikin Lagos with one double barrel pistol and two live cartridges after he and two others went for a robbery operation, where they robbed one Oseni Hassan ‘m’ of his Bajaj motorcycle valued N750,000.00) at gun point.
However, Okafor was later arrested by the mob after a hot chase when he fell down from the robbed Bajaj motorcycle after he was released from Kirikiri Correctional Centre for same offence of armed robbery.
The robbed motorcycle was taken away by other gang members when he fell down. He confessed that the gun he pointed to the complainant before they robbed him of his motorcycle was given to him by one Abbey, who escaped with the motorcycle.
The Police alleged that the suspect, Okafor, confessed that himself and his gang members have sold about seven motorcycles robbed from victims to one Ibrahim, their criminal receiver at Alaba Rago Lagos. And one Allen was the person who supplied them with live cartridges for any robbery operations.
Following his confession, the Police found him culpable and charged him before the Ogba Magistrate Court for the alleged offence which attracts several years of imprisonment.
The charges read:
“That you, Victor Okafor ‘m’ and others now at large, on the 18th day of June, 2025 at about 2000hrs, at Ijanikin area of Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, 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 in the aforesaid Magisterial District, whilst armed with gun, did rob one Bajaj motorcycle with Reg. No. LSR 77 KTU valued Seven hundred and fifty thousand Naira (N750,000.00), property of 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.”
However, the Court did not take his plea after the prosecutor, Supol Philip Ademigbuji, asked the Court to refer the matter to the DPP for legal advice because the allegation is a capital offence under the Criminal Law of the State.
Thus, the Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. O. Kusanu, ordered the remand in custody at the correctional center at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending the outcome of the DPP’s advice and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send it to the DPP for legal advice.
The matter was adjourned for mention for the report of the DPP’s advice to be available, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction.