Corporate Beggars, Corporate Prostitutes, Corporate Thieves, Corporate 419, Corporate Pickpockets, Corporate etc, are all dignifying absurdities. They are everywhere; on the streets, buses, chauffeur – driven vehicles, octane events etc.
They appear dignified, respectably well dressed and not easily identifiable like regular street hustlers. Their targets are your valuables; money, phones, purses, jewellery e.t.c.
They are decked like the CEOs donning nice attires, shoes etc,’all nah wash’.
Few months ago, RRS operatives in Oshodi arrested one Seun Jimoh, 18, for pickpocketing. Jimoh, a trainee auto – engineer, abandoned mechanic work for pickpocketing in Oshodi on the ground that it was more profitable.
Jimoh, decked in brown jacket and trouser, and a hand bag like a corporate executive, as at the time of his arrest had already stolen four mobile phones from unsuspecting commuters in an early morning rush in Oshodi.
He was removing N18, 000:00 from the pocket of a commuter during another bus stampede when he was caught.
Unknown to Jimoh, two of his victims were on the lookout for him after suspecting him for being in possession of their missing phones.
While standing at Oshodi Under Bridge, they spotted him removing N18,000:00 from the pocket of another victim, Gbenga Odeniyi.
At this point, his earlier victims, Onuh Austine and Onesimus Paul raised an alarm, which made Jimoh to promptly drop the money and take to his heels but RRS operatives close to the scene chased and caught him.
The operatives after listening to all the accusations requested the victims’ phone numbers which were dialled and they were found in Jimoh’s handbag.
Jimoh upon interrogation confirmed to have stolen the two phones during a bus stampede. He added “on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I am always in Oshodi pickpocketing. I steal 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.
If Jimoh’s new found auto – workshop for pickpocketing was Oshodi, this next suspect patronises selected events and gathering for his victims.
Joseph Adeoye, 22, dressed in black suit was arrested in Ikeja at the commissioning of a shopping mall. He had stolen the mobile phone of a shopper from her handbag when he was spotted and arrested at the event.
He confessed to RRS interrogators to have stolen several mobile phones and wallets in the same manner. According to him, ‘I live in Ibafo, from where I come to Lagos visiting choice gatherings to pickpocket’.
Although, several pickpockets operating in the city have been arrested while plying their trade in commercial buses and bus stops, Adeoye and Jimoh, who dress well daily like business executives might still be many in the metropolis eking out their livelihood pickpocketing and stealthily dispossessing residents of their prized belongings.
One of them might just be sitting next to you waiting to steal your phone or your wallet. Please. Shine your eyes; so much is going on around you.
Source: Rapid Response Squad
