Eight men arrested for allegedly snatching phones from pedestrians on the Mile 2 Bridge in Lagos have each been sentenced to six months’ imprisonment by a Magistrate Court sitting in Bolade, Oshodi.
The Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this on Thursday via his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, noting that the suspects were apprehended during an early morning raid conducted by operatives of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps.
The convicted suspects are identified as Anthony Osinachi (21), Victor Onuoha (45), Rowland Ede (25), Daniel Chisom (24), Emmanuel Chukwu (35), Ogbonnaya Uchechi (18), Godday Eke (28), and Benjamin G. (30).
According to Wahab, the culprits were charged before the Magistrate Court, where they pleaded guilty and were immediately sentenced.
“The eight miscreants arrested earlier today for snatching phones on the pedestrian bridge of Mile 2 were arraigned before the Magistrate Court sitting at Bolade, Oshodi. They pleaded guilty and were sentenced to six months’ imprisonment,” Wahab stated.
He commended the LAGESC officials for their swift response and reiterated the government’s determination to rid the state of criminal elements operating in public spaces.
“I commend our operatives for their quick intervention. The Lagos State Government will not tolerate criminal activities in any part of the state. Residents must remain vigilant and report suspicious movements to security agencies,” the commissioner added.
The arrests come amid the state government’s intensified enforcement against environmental infractions, illegal occupation of public infrastructure, and the rising cases of street crime.
This development follows a similar operation in October when officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority apprehended six suspected members of a notorious “one-chance” robbery syndicate operating under the Ijora Bridge corridor.
The Lagos State Government, under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has reaffirmed its zero-tolerance policy towards environmental violations and criminal hideouts across the state.
