Lagos Police Uses CCTV To Arrest Notorious Pick Pocket In Oshodi Area

The newly deployed mobile CCTV camera procured by the Lagos State Government for the operatives of the Lagos Rapid Response Squad has recorded its first surveillance arrest.

The suspect was arrested in Oshodi while the Mobile CCTV was being deployed at Oshodi to monitor the area. The suspect, Emmanuel Alowonle, an 18-year old, a native of Ondo State, disclosed during interrogation that he came to Lagos about two years ago and work as a bus conductor in the area.


Politics Nigeria learned that Alowonle was arrested after stealing from another commuter's handbag on the pedestrian walkway. RRS officers spotted Emmanuel in the crowd picking from a passer-by handbag through the mobile CCTV camera.



The CCTV camera was jointly managed and put into use by both RRS operatives and technical assistance officers of the Lagos State Response Unit, (LRU). LRU handled the technicalities of the camera while RRS officers took charge of the security aspect of the newly deployed mechanism.



The surveillance patrol team monitored Ilasa, mile 2, and Airport road in the same manner of test running and putting into use the mobile surveillance technology.The mobile CCTV is geared towards helping security operatives in close monitoring and wider view of crime-prone areas in Lagos.

It will be recalled that the Lagos State government in its effort to combat crime in the state gave out the surveillance mobile CCTV to further help in the tracking down criminals and identifying crime scenes in the State.

Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police, ASP Olarinde Famous Cole, said that there would be no hiding place for those who come to Lagos to perpetrate crimes, adding that the police would fish them out.

The suspect has been detained and would be charged to court soon.