On Wednesday, the Ogun State Police Command announced the arrest of two suspected members of a ‘one chance’ syndicate that had been causing terror in some areas of the state.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, in a terse statement made available to PUNCH Metro on Wednesday, disclosed the arrest.

The arrest came following reported cases of ‘one chance’ syndicates operating in some parts of the state.

PUNCH Metro reported on April 18 that a PUNCH reporter, Babatunde Titilola, was attacked and robbed by ‘one chance’ robbers in a commercial vehicle along the Sagamu end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

It was gathered that the incident occurred at about 6:40 am.

The term ‘one chance’ is frequently used in Nigeria to describe a robbery committed by a group of criminals who pick up people who are waiting for a bus or taxi just to rob them.

Speaking in an interview with our correspondent, Babatunde revealed that the fact that there were five of them inside the bus did not raise suspicion that they were armed robbers.

Odutola disclosed on Wednesday that the suspects, Emmanuel Edeki and Tobi David, were arrested in the Sango Ota area of the state on April 15 following credible intelligence.

She added that the suspects would be prosecuted upon the conclusion of an investigation.

She said, “Two suspects were arrested on April 15, 2024. They are a syndicate that specialises in ‘one chance’ robbery at the Sango Ota axis of Ogun State. The suspects are Emmanuel Edeki and Tobi David. They will be prosecuted.”

PUNCH Metro reported on February 17 that operatives of the Lagos State Police Command arrested one 45-year-old, Okoro, and one 42-year-old Patience, in a ‘one chance’ robbery in the state.

It was gathered that the robbers, who often pose as commercial bus drivers while abducting unsuspecting passengers to different locations to defraud them of their properties, were arrested at about 6 am.

Similarly, the FCT police arrested a couple and one other person in a ‘one chance’ robbery in Abuja on January 11.

The arrest was made by the Utako Police Divisional Headquarters.

According to the FCT police spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, the suspects, during interrogation, confessed to having carried out a series of one-chance-related activities in the FCT before their apprehension.

Adeh added that “a blue Mazda car with number plate FCT 590 EV, an operational vehicle used by the syndicate to perpetrate their heinous acts was recovered from one of the suspects.”