Photo: I 've been stealing people's things at events for more than a year

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT) at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, has arrested a ‘high-profile thief’ identified as Augustine Joseph, who specialises in impersonating journalists to steal gadgets and defraud dignitaries at events.

The suspect who posed as an employee of Linda Ikeji blog, with an identity card bearing the name Michael Mordi, was arrested and paraded last week for robbing unsuspecting members of public of their belongings at public events.

Joseph had walked into one of the new generation bank’s head-office at Victoria Island, Lagos, for an event on March, 30, and made away with a Samsung Galaxy S6 phone and other items belonging to guests at the event.

A statement by the IGP team, said: 

"Immediately we received the information, operatives of the IGP’s Intelligence Response Team led by Superintendent Lateef Balogun, swung into action and based on the technical intelligence gathered, one Augustine Joseph (male) was arrested while the phone in question was recovered from him. 

"The suspect confessed to have stolen the phone from the complainant and equally confessed to other heinous crimes that are becoming rampant at public events."

The suspect who admitted to the crimes, said:

"I have been into this business of stealing people’s things at event for more than a year now. I steal phones, laptops and other gadgets when attending functions. The method I mostly use is to come in as early as possible to familiarise myself with people. I always sit close to charging points where I would be able to carry out my act and I move around with different chargers to lend to people who need to charge their phones,"

"To get details about upcoming events, I download some events app on my phone and I add Facebook pages of events so as to stay current on activities happening around me. I go to the extent of paying as a participant to attend trainings and workshop in order for me to rob people of their belongings, " he confessed.

The police said the suspect will be arraigned iin court once investigations are concluded.

Source: The Guardian