Seun Jimoh, an 18-year-old suspected pickpocket who was arrested by the operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of Lagos State Police Command, has admitted that pickpocketing was more lucrative than auto engineering.
He explained that due to its juicy nature, he abandoned engineering and settled for pickpocketing before his arrest.
The Ondo State indigene was arrested by the police at Oshodi on Tuesday with four mobile phones he allegedly stole from unsuspecting commuters during peak time in the morning .
Jimoh, who was said to have been well dressed in a brown jacket and trousers, and a hand bag to match looked like a business executive, but was nabbed while attempting to remove N18,000:00 from the pocket of a commuter during another bus stampede before he was caught.
It was learnt two of the victim he stole their phones suspected him and “Unknowingly to him, were on the lookout for him after suspecting him for being in custody of their missing phones.
“While standing at Oshodi under Bridge, they spotted him removing money from the pocket of a passenger, Gbenga Odeniyi, they raised alarm that led to his arrest before he could escape from the scene.
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The victims, Onuh Austine and simus Paul told the RRS operatives how their phones were stolen and after listening to all the accusations requested the victims’ phone numbers to be dialled and they were found in Jimoh’s handbag.
Jimoh confessed to have stolen the two phones during a bus stampede, saying that On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, he always operate at Oshodi.
“I stole an average of eight phones on Mondays and maybe nine phones on Fridays. I don’t really get more than five phones on Wednesdays.
He added, “I am an orphan. I 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 pickpocketing. All the phones that I stole, I sell them in 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”
Narrating how he got the expertise to steal and not caught for about three years, he explained, “No one needs to train you on how to pickpocket. It is so easy and the idea came naturally to me. You can do it 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”.
In her response, the State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Superintendent of Police, SP Dolapo Badmus, reassured people of Lagos of maximum security in the state. She added that the suspect has given information that would help track down his colleagues in the same trade as well as buyers of the stolen phone.
The suspect has been transferred to the Lagos State Taskforce on Environment for prosecution.