Police in Ogun State have arrested nine members of a cross-border robbery gang, which included three siblings.
The state Police Commissioner, Ahmed Iliyasu, while parading eight of the suspects before newsmen on Wednesday at the Ogun State police headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta, disclosed nine exotic cars were recovered from the suspects.
The CP said the gang leader, identified as Ismaila Adeosun, had been earlier arrested by operatives of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Response Team for a robbery incident.
Meanwhile, Adeosun’s siblings, Tobi and Yetunde as well as two nationals of the neighbouring Benin Republic, Dele Obey and Bayo Quaheeb, were later apprehended by policemen from the state.
Also among the arrested suspects are 27-year-old Olalekan Olawale, Danladi Isah, 25; Oluwatosin Abayomi and Abel Womiloju.
Weapons recovered from the suspects, according to Iliyasu, include two AK47 rifles with 50 rounds of ammunition, four locally made pistols with 21 live cartridges and one pump action gun with 12 live cartridges.
He stated that the suspects confessed to robbery operations at Iseyin in Oyo State, Abeokuta, Lagos, Abuja and Benin Republic.
According to him, one of the suspects, Olalekan Olawale, had earlier been arrested by operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) and released “on compassionate grounds” for allegedly snatching a motorcycle.
The said motorcycle was said to have been sold at Ilara in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area of the state.
The commissioner explained that after he was arrested, Olawale confessed of being homosexual and that he used to sleep with two Yahoo boys for a fee of N50,000 per night.
“Five minutes after divulging this information, he started vomiting blood. He claimed to have sworn to an oath never to divulge the information and that is the reason why he was vomiting blood. He was quickly rushed to the hospital where he was treated, and released for that purpose on compassionate grounds.
“However, no sooner than he regained his health, there was a report of a high case of kidnapping a lady within Abeokuta metropolis and demanded a ransom of N500,000 before the victim was released.
“Also on 12th of October 2018, the command received an information about an intending robbery operation to be carried out within Abeokuta metropolis, I then put the FSARS operatives on red alert to foil the operation following which the operatives having identified the area where the robbery was to take place laid ambush for the hoodlums and eventually succeeded in nabbing two members of the gang.
“Behold, Olalekan Olawale, who was earlier released on health grounds was among the duo. His accomplice is one 25-year-old Danladi Isah,” the CP explained.
Iliyasu stated that a Toyota Corolla car with registration number KRD 72 BB, one AK47 rifle with 25 rounds of ammunition, one pump action gun, 15 live cartridges and two locally made double barrel pistols with four live cartridges were recovered from the suspects.
He attributed the arrest to the determination and resilience in making the state crime-free “in continuation of the IGP’s operation criminal and arms and ammunition mop up.”
The police boss warned that the state would not be a safe haven for criminal elements in the society.
“We are not going to relent in our efforts to realise Ogun State of our dream. We are going to roll out everything in our arsenal to wage war against crime and criminality in order to ensure that the good people of the state sleep with their two eyes closed,” he added.
Comments