Delta State Police Command has arrested two suspected serial phone snatchers during a routine stop-and-search operation.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, officers intercepted a commercial tricycle (keke) and conducted a search that led to the discovery of seven mobile phones in the possession of the rider. The inability of the passengers to unlock the devices raised further suspicion, prompting an investigation.
SP Edafe shared video of the incident on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), issuing a public advisory to commuters. “As you go about your activities this week, for those who board tricycles and commercial vehicles, hold your phones in your hands,” he cautioned.
“If any male passenger is coughing, just mind your business and hold your phone firmly. Listen and learn.”
He also defended the stop-and-search strategy employed by the police, describing it as a vital tool in crime prevention.
“Stop and search is crime fighting. When our men stop a tricycle or vehicle for a search, don’t frustrate them,” he said.
One of the suspects, who identified himself as Oliver Osadebe, admitted to being involved in phone snatching before traveling abroad. “I have been doing this before I went to South Africa in 2021,” he said.
Explaining how the phones were recovered, Osadebe stated, “Police stop the keke man, he search me, he didn’t see anything. They now search the keke man and saw him with seven phones.”
The suspects remain in custody as investigations is still ongoing.
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