Rita Cobbs steals a glance at Bakko when she hears his utterance.
Everyone here is a suspect if you do not know. I will ensure you all get arrested.
Bakko spoke aloud to the hearing of everyone standing in a queue waiting for the BRT bus. His purse was stolen from his wallet.
The wallet was carefully kept in my pocket. Some evil-minded person must have picked it.
He continued speaking, looking towards Rita Cobbs.
During the rush hour in the city of Lagos, when everyone hurriedly heads to their homes or early in the morning, when they want to meet up at the resumption time at work, pocket pickers usually go on the rampage. The unsuspecting victims usually play into the hands of the pick-pockets when they act nervously to reach their homes or to get to work.
Rita Cobbs, an undercover detective, was out on a mission to arrest the notorious pick-pocket, Cable. He was well known around the Ajah axis of Lagos where he operated.
Earlier in the month, the commissioner of police got his phones stolen at the area where Cable and his boys operate. Since then, the police have been on his trail. The commissioner's missing phone was not recovered but rather, it was used to commit more crimes.
This incident was not reported in the news because of the likely uproar it would produce. If the police commissioner's phone can be stolen, then no one is safe in the whole state.
Rita knew that the pock-pickers must be somewhere around, so she watched every single move everyone around the crowd was making. In her beret was a recording device. She will get the footage of everyone's movement when she gets home. But at the moment, she only has to move her head from one end to the other.
Everyone was waiting patiently for the bus. The bad boys will strike again once the bus arrives because there will be another rush.
Bakko was so sad. His only means of getting home was the cash he had in the stolen wallet. Now, going home is a mirage except a good Samaritan helps out.
Palm groove, Ladipo. Oshodi wait for the next bus.
The bus conductor shouted at the top of his voice like his life depended on it. Then the rush began. Some folks from nowhere, who were not among the waiting passengers, just appeared and joined the mixed crowd. Rita Cobbs watched closely and found one well-dressed young man who had his left hand moving toward the pocket of another passenger. She moved closer, waiting for the criminal to launch his strike.
As soon as he did, Rita held his hand and cuffed it. The shouts rammed the air.
Thief, thief………
The young man went on his knees and started begging.
How many of you are here?
Rita asked the young man in the cuff.
Sorry ma! Sorry ma!!
By now, an angry mob was already forming. They got angrier when they saw Bakko's wallet in the young man's jacket breast pocket.
Give me my wallet, Ole jati jati (common criminal)
Bakko snatched his wallet from the young man who was already on his knees, begging Rita Cobbs.
When she saw that tension was already mounting, she pulled out her police ID and asked that the young man stand.
Officer, I am not the only one. Please!!
The young man said, pointing to no one in particular as he was led away by Rita Cobbs.
The first bus moved out of the Park as other buses that would be going to different routes tolled in.
Bakko came alive. His imagination on who the good Samaritan would be has been forgotten all of a sudden. All thanks to Rita Cobbs.
These Young men of nowadays, as handsome and well kitted as they are, they would not get themselves productively engaged. All they do is to look for someone else's work to harvest. Today, posterity caught up with that one.
He said, addressing everyone in the bus.
Perhaps you are here and you are like that young man, the earlier you realise that one day you will be caught, the better.
Everyone in the bus laughed and said
Amen.
Engaging story with a satisfying dose of justice! I like how you built tension around identifying the pickpocket through Rita's observational skills. The details about rush hour in Lagos transported me right into the bustling scene. Glad the day was saved thanks to Rita's sharp police work. I'll be remembering the life lesson Bakko drops at the end - well done!
Good story, @mrenglish. We feel the tension mount as the officer cuffs her suspect. The threat of mob violence is real. We also feel Bakko's anxiety, and then relief.
The story has a good arc, with conflict and resolution clear.
Thank you for sharing this with us, @mrenglish
Am glad those guys were caught if not they would have rob lots of people successfully.
What a great story and you are right about oshodi because that is where all those guys operate.
What a great story, good thing those guys were caught.
There is nothing more painful when you see your cash or wallet gone just in a twinkle of an eye. That moment your head began to spin, it seems you are in dilusion.
Ohhh stealing is a bad habit, no matter how little it may look. It should be curbed early. A handsome pickpocket, that's bad, who could have thought?
A very common problem in Nigeria. Once it is sunset, then one needs to be careful against those smart thieves. I am glad that the young man was arrested.
It now look like it a normal norms in my country where people snatch things from people if in the broad day afternoon.
I’m wondering I taught stealing was always at night what is coming over our generation 🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️😂
I’m glad the idiot was caught.
Being a victim of a pocket-picker is not a good experience. It's a good thing that the perpetrators are caught.
Pocket-pickers are always there in major cities of the world. They know when to strike and how to distract the public
Rita Cobbs was a fearless detective who knew how to do her job well. Thank goodness that nemesis caught up with the criminal.