In a decisive blow to the city’s underworld, operatives from the Lagos State Police Command have arrested John Samuel, a 28-year-old ex-convict and self-styled armed robbery kingpin, at his hideout in Epe, unmasking him as the mastermind behind a brazen daylight gold jewellery heist on Allen Avenue.
The dramatic takedown unfolded on Friday, September 19, around 2 p.m., when a crack team from the Command’s Tactical Squad raided Samuel’s secluded lair in the coastal town of Epe, acting on actionable intelligence and CCTV footage from the crime scene. Samuel, hailing from Akwa Ibom State, was nabbed alongside incriminating evidence, including a locally made pistol and the stolen gold chain valued at over ₦5 million. Described by police as a “vicious hired assassin” with a rap sheet stained by murder and multiple heists, Samuel had only recently been released after serving a six-year sentence for armed robbery—only to plunge deeper into criminality.
The heist in question targeted Gbenga Obama, a prominent Ikeja-based businessman, on August 18 along Gbajobi Street in the bustling Allen Avenue commercial hub. Eyewitnesses recounted the chaos: Masked assailants on motorcycles swooped in amid peak traffic, firing warning shots that shattered the afternoon calm before ripping the gleaming gold necklace from Obama’s neck and fleeing into the throng. Obama, who sustained a minor graze wound, was rushed to a nearby clinic but has since recovered, vowing to testify against his attackers. “It was like a scene from a bad movie—shots ringing out, people diving for cover,” Obama told reporters outside the station. “But justice feels sweeter than any chain.”
Police spokesperson CSP Benjamin Hundeyin hailed the operation as a testament to the Command’s zero-tolerance stance on violent crime. “John Samuel isn’t just a robber; he’s a killer who shoots first and asks questions never,” Hundeyin stated in a press release. “Post-release, he escalated, orchestrating hits and heists with cold precision. CCTV nailed him—his face, his bike, his arrogance. We’re grilling him now, and leads point to a wider network.” Sources close to the investigation whisper of potential accomplices, including a shadowy “hired gun” rumored to be Samuel’s enforcer, though no second arrest has been confirmed yet.
Samuel’s fall from grace—or rather, from freedom—has ignited cheers across Lagos social media, with #EpeTakedown trending alongside memes of chained kingpins. “From Allen Avenue bling to Epe bars—karma’s got a receipt,” quipped one X user, while business owners in Ikeja’s jewellery district breathed collective relief: “We’ve lost millions to these wolves. This one’s a win for us all.” Rights groups, however, urge caution, calling for swift trials to prevent vigilante justice in a city weary of crime’s toll.
Commissioner of Police Olohundare Jimoh lauded the squad’s “gallantry and intel-driven precision,” reaffirming commitments to tech-enhanced policing amid Lagos’s swelling population and economic strains. As Samuel faces charges of armed robbery, attempted murder, and illegal possession of firearms, authorities vow more raids to dismantle his syndicate. In the City of Dreams, it seems, even kingpins dream in handcuffs.