Police in Lagos have killed about 65 suspected armed robbers during exchange of fire in the last six months.
Also, 291 others were arrested during the period under review.
Addressing newsmen at the Ikeja Command Headquarters on Thursday, the state Police Commissioner, Mohammed Abubakar, disclosed that 204 firearms and 3,502 ammunition were recovered from robbery suspects.
According to him, the command recorded a huge success especially in the area of arrest of armed robbers who operate on motorcycles at night.
However, Abubakar attributed the low crime recorded during the festive period to overwhelming presence of policemen all over the state, the quick dissemination of information to the police by good-spirited residents and strategies put together to fight crime headlong.
The commissioner made particular reference to the arrest of a member of a notorious armed robbery gang, Kelvin Nnadeka.
The suspect was arrested at his girlfriend�s liquor shop at Amuwo-Odofin following a tip-off.
It was learnt that the 10-man gang specialised in raiding banks and posh houses within Apapa axis. Meanwhile, the leader of the gang, identified by his sobriquet, “Able God” is still at large.
The kingpin was reputed to be a custodian of the sophisticated weapons used by the gang.
Meanwhile, the police also arrested over 40 persons in Ifako/Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos State for flouting the ban on fireworks popularly called “bangers” during the New Year celebration.
The suspects were picked up between 12.30 a.m. and 1.30 a.m. on Tuesday immediately after the church service which heralded the New Year. Investigations showed that a greater number of the suspects were from the St. Kizito�s Catholic Church, Iju area.
Reports said immediately after the service, some members of the church, particularly the youth, began to throw �bangers� along the Iju Water Works Road. However, unknown to them, some policemen from the New Oko Oba Police Station were around.
The policemen immediately swung into action and arrested the suspects. Reliable sources said similar arrests were made in different parts of the Lagos metropolis.
Efforts to get comments from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Oko Oba Police Station failed as he was not around when our reporter called.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, declined comments, saying the command would make official statement on the issue today (Thursday).