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The dummy guns are usually carved with wood and painted black or simply wrapped with black polythene bags.

Victims of such robbers are usually terrified at the sight of the 'guns' and hurriedly part with their money and other valuables.

On Tuesday, a gang of street robbers, armed with toy guns, attacked one Balogun Adelani at Somolu area of Lagos.

The victim was accosted on the road at about 8.30pm at 'gunpoint' and was ordered to surrender all he had on him.

In his terrified state, the victim lost his composure and before he could regain it, the robbers had dispossessed him of N50,000 and a Nokia mobile telephone set.

The victim later reported the incident to a patrolling police team, which subsequently arrested one of the suspects.

The suspect, whose name was given as Lateef (surname withheld) of Oderemi Street, Somolu, was arrested with a toy gun.

He was said to have told the police that his gang members had escaped.

Similarly, on the same day, at about 6.20am, a team of anti-robbery policemen arrested a robbery suspect armed with a dummy gun.

The suspect and two others, riding a motorcycle, had allegedly attempted to snatch a handbag from its owner at Isolo area of the state.

Spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Frank Mba, confirmed the arrests to our correspondent on Wednesday.