Bayelsa Vigilante Nabs Notorious Pickpockets in Yenagoa: Suspects Confess to Years of Mobile Phone Theft

 

In a major breakthrough in the fight against street crime in Bayelsa State, operatives of the Bayelsa State Vigilante Security Outfit stationed at the popular Tombia-Etegwe Roundabout in Yenagoa Local Government Area have successfully apprehended two notorious pickpockets known for terrorizing unsuspecting commuters. This arrest has brought relief to many residents and commuters who have been victims of phone snatching and petty theft around the bustling area.

The suspects, identified as Daniel Michael Agu, a 33-year-old man from Abia State, and Okpoh Kelvin, 34, who hails from Bayelsa State, were arrested on the morning of Monday, May 12, 2025. Their arrest followed a tip-off from a recent victim who recognized them after losing his phone inside a commercial tricycle, popularly known as keke.

According to Daniel Michael Agu, one of the suspects, pickpocketing has been their major source of income for years. He openly confessed that they have been stealing phones and other valuables from passengers inside tricycles across Yenagoa metropolis for a long time. He even admitted that they carried out these criminal activities on a daily basis and that it had become a routine for them.

"We have been earning a daily income from the nefarious act of pickpocketing using tricycles for several years within the Yenagoa metropolis," Daniel said.

The Chairman of the Bayelsa State Vigilante Security Outfit, Hon. Doubiye Alagba, while addressing newsmen, revealed that Daniel Agu has been on their wanted list for quite some time. According to him, Daniel is not just any pickpocket – he is the ringleader of a larger gang of street thieves who operate within Yenagoa and other parts of the state.

"Daniel Agu, who is married with wife and children, has been on the wanted list of the vigilante outfit," Alagba disclosed.

He further explained that the gang has been initiating many young boys into the dangerous world of pickpocketing and has been a serious threat to public safety for years. The chairman also exposed a more disturbing fact – that these criminals allegedly use charms and diabolic methods to carry out their operations.

"These criminals, most times, use charms and diabolic means to steal valuables from their victims, and this arrest is a major crackdown on pickpockets," Alagba noted.

Narrating how the suspects were eventually caught, Alagba explained that around 11am on Monday, a man named Abasi, who is from Akwa Ibom State, boarded a tricycle in Yenagoa. During the short journey, he noticed his mobile phone had gone missing. He immediately suspected he had been robbed.

Instead of panicking, Abasi acted fast. He boarded another tricycle and managed to overtake the one in which the suspects were still riding. Upon seeing a Vigilante Service Unit Post nearby, he stopped and reported the incident to the officers on duty. The vigilante operatives quickly launched a stop-and-search operation at the scene, leading to the arrest of Daniel and Kelvin.

During the search, the vigilantes found several mobile phones in the possession of the suspects, including the one belonging to Abasi. In a dramatic turn of events, as one of the confiscated phones was switched on, it began to ring. When the officers answered the call, the actual owner of the phone was on the line and confirmed that she had been robbed by the same suspects at a different location earlier that same day.

“Several phones were discovered within their possessions including that of the complainant. On switching on one of the phones caught with them, the owner immediately called and said she was robbed by the suspects at a different location within Yenagoa,” Alagba stated.

This coordinated effort by the Bayelsa State Vigilante Group not only brought two criminals to justice but also exposed a larger network of street theft that had plagued the state for years. The prompt action of the victim, combined with the quick response of the vigilante officers, proved to be the key in dismantling this criminal operation.

The arrested suspects have now been handed over to Operation Doo-Akpo, a unit of the Nigerian Police Force, for further investigation and possible prosecution. This development is seen as a major victory in the ongoing efforts to curb crime and restore peace and safety in Yenagoa and its surrounding areas.