Picking Pocket Is A Quick Way To Making Fast Money- Suspect

An 18 year old suspect arrested by the operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of Lagos State Police Command has disclosed that he ran away from auto engineering to pick pocketing because it was more lucrative.

The suspect, Jimoh Seun from Ondo State was arrested at the early hours of Tuesday in Oshodi area of Lagos state while attempting to pick a victim’s pocket. He was decked in a brown jacket and trousers with a hand bag like a business executive. Before his arrest, Seun had already stolen four mobile phones from unsuspecting commuters in an early morning rush in the area.

Folakeinvestigates gathered that he was about to remove eighteen thousand naira (N18, 000:00) from the pocket of a commuter during another bus stampede when he was caught.


While standing at Oshodi under Bridge, two of victims that were on the lookout for him spotted him removing money from the pocket of a passenger, one Gbenga Odeniyi and raised an alarm. This made Seun to quickly drop the money and take to his heels but the RRS operatives close to the scene chased and caught him". Unknowingly to him, two of his victims were on the lookout for him after suspecting him for being in custody of their missing phones
The operatives after listening to all the accusations requested the victims’ phone numbers, Onuh Austine and Onesimus Paul, which were dialed and the rang-out from inside Seun’s handbag.
The suspect, during interrogation at the RRS Headquarters, confessed to have stolen the two phones during a bus stampede. In his confessional statement, he said he picks pockets on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays.
“On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I am always in Oshodi picking pockets. I stole an average of eight phones on Mondays and maybe like nine phones on Fridays. I don’t really get more than five phones on Wednesdays. I am an orphan and was brought to Lagos by my uncle. He enlisted me in an auto – mobile workshop but I ran away from there to Mushin where I honed my skills in pick pocketing.
“I sell all the phones I steal at Alaba Rago to some Hausas. They buy fairly used phones and materials from people. I have been in this business since 2013. I have never been caught or imprisoned before. Nobody needs to train you on how to pickpocket. It is so easy and the idea came naturally to me. You can do it too but you do the easy ones. I get to Oshodi by 6:30 a.m. and I leave after operations around 9:00 a.m. I sell Nokia Microsoft N7, 000:00; Infinix Hot N8, 000, Tecno Y series N7, 000 – N9, 000 and small Samsung phones N4, 000:00”. Seun confessed.
The owners of the two other phones found with Seun have been invited to collect their phones while the police is on the verge of arresting stolen phone buyers mentioned by the suspects.
Confirming the arrest, the State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmus said one of the ways to stem cases of phone theft in the state is to pick-up the major buyers. She re-assured people of Lagos, of maximum security in the state.
She stated further that the suspect has given information that would help track down his colleagues in the same trade as well as stolen phone buyers.
The suspect has been transferred to the Lagos State Taskforce on Environment for prosecution.