By Charles Ayodele
To ensure a safer and better society, the Ekiti State Police Command has continued to embark on intelligence and ground breaking operations which have led to the arrest of various suspected criminals in the State.
Parading the suspects on behalf of the State Commissioner of Police, the spokesperson of the Command DSP Abutu Sunday said, on 02/06/2024 at about 22:20hrs, a gang of armed robbers numbering about eight stormed Oshodi Community, Ado-Ekiti, with guns and other sophiscated weapons, attacked and robbed different residents of their belongings.
Upon the receipt of the information, the Command Rapid Response Squad (RRS) swung into action and arrested one Poyi Nambet Boka at the scene with one AK47 rifle loaded with ammunition.
The suspect led RRS operatives to WonderKing Hotel, Ado-Ekiti, where two of their gang members; Pompyal Domfas Yahanna a.k.a BOSS and Timnan Nimmyel Moses John were arrested.
The suspects equally led the operatives to YGL Hotel, Ado-Ekiti, where two locally made Barreta pistols with one magazine loaded with four rounds of live ammunition were recovered inside a Well within the hotel premises and one Peter Nalde, the security guard of the Hotel who concealed the weapons, was arrested.
On 16/06/2024, one of the gang members, David Dashe aka TOO MUCH, who escaped to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, was trailed and arrested by RRS Operatives. Other gang members arrested are: one katdul Joshua Sunday, Benjamin Dashe, Selna Luka and Saldu Marmap.
The suspects confessed to have been responsible for the robbery attacks on different innocent citizens in Ado-Ekiti and IKere-Ekiti on 05/01/2024, 07/04/2024, 19/05/2024, 26/05/2024, 30/05/2024, 22/05/2024, amongst others.
They equally confessed to be responsible for the robbery and the murder of one Adewumi Blessing ‘f’ on 06/02/2024 and the murder of one isijola Temitope Opeyemi, a POS operator on 22/05/2024.
Exhibits Recovered are; Two AK 47 rifles,Two locally made Berreta Pistols, Eleven 7.62mm live ammunition, Four 9mm live ammunition, Four AK47 magazines, two Suspected stolen Bajaj Motorcycles. The PPRO added that effort is ongoing to arrest other fleeing members of the gang.
Also, on 04/06/2024 the Command Rapid Response Squad, acting upon credible information, conducted a raid operation on Wonderking Hotel, Ado-Ekiti. During the operation, three suspects, one Eze kelechi, Godfrey Israel and Eze Orji, were arrested. In the course of interrogation, two among the arrested suspected armed robbers, one Timnan Limmyel Moses John and Poyi Nambet Boka, indicted the three arrested suspects to be members of a syndicate that specializes in stealing vehicles from where parked within Ado-Ekiti.
Abutu further explained that, on 13/16/2024 at about 20:30hrs, the RRS operatives, through credible information, arrested one Omotuyi Temitope a.k.a TOPE JINADU SMALL inside Alex Grace Hotel, Ado-Ekiti. The suspect alongside four other suspects had earlier in 2012 been arrested for the offence of Conspiracy and Armed Robbery. They were charged to court and remanded in the Correctional Centre, Ado-Ekiti.
While in Correctional Centre, the suspect and one Jimoh Sadiku colluded with their gang members outside the Correctional Centre and broke the Correctional Centre gate which resulted to the escape of two hundred and twenty inmates.
Investigation revealed that the suspect thereafter fled to United Arab Emirates (UAE) where he involved in a murder case, arrested, imprisoned for six years and later repatriated to Nigeria. Investigation revealed that the suspect alongside other members of his gang currently at large have robbed many innocent citizens within Ado-Ekiti.
The Command Rapid Response Squad, through a concerted effort equally arrested one Adefemi Oluwatosin a.k.a WONDERFUL for attacking and robbing a POS operator and her husband at gun point on 21/06/2024 at Olaoluwa Street, Ado-Ekiti.
The Suspect, who came with one other who is currently at large on a Motorcycle, robbed the victims of the sum of four hundred and seventy thousand naira (#470,000). The Victims, however, identified the suspect as one of the armed robbers that attacked and robbed them.
Investigation revealed that the suspect is a notorious member of the Supreme “Eiye” Confraternity Secret Cult and specializes in robbing POS operators within Ado-Ekiti.
In a related development, on 12/06/2024 at about 01:00hrs, two armed men stormed the residence of an 87-year old woman at Ifaki-Ekiti and robbed her at gun point of a cash sum of one hundred and forty-seven naira (#147,000). The two hoodlums instructed the woman to withdraw additional cash of three million naira (₦3,000,000) from her bank account and give it to her House Help, one Adunola Precious ‘f’, who will deliver it to them. They threatened to kidnap the woman if she does not withdraw and send the money to them as demanded.
Upon the receipt of the complaint, the Command Rapid Response Squad (RRS) swung into action and arrested the principal suspects, one Shedrack Akpos and Lucky Akpos.
During interrogation, the two suspects confessed to the commission of the crime and said that they were invited by the old woman’s House Help to rob her. The house help was subsequently arrested.
Following the recent fracas among rival secret cult group members, especially the Supreme “Eiye” Confraternity and the Black Axe “Aiye” Confraternity in Ado-Ekiti which led to serious unrest as well as killing and robbing of innocent citizens, suspected to have been perpetrated by some members of these secret cult groups.
The Command activated a full-scale manhunt to arrest the perpetrators, bring them to justice and restore a peaceful atmosphere. Through this, the Command RRS Operatives, acting on credible tip-off, arrested one Aluko Olamide a.k.a SANDA in Ado-Ekiti on 23/06/2024. A search was conducted in his house and three mobile phones, six ATM Cards and thirty-two different Sim Cards belonging to victims were recovered.
Further investigation led to the arrest of one Atewogboye Olumide Emmanuel at Ekute Quarters, Ado-Ekiti on 24/06/2024. A search of his room was carried out and two locally made Single Barrel guns and nine live cartridges were recovered.
Effort intensified on 24/06/2024 led to the arrest of one Salawudeen Lukman, one of the killer squad members and member of Eiye Confraternity. The suspects confessed that they, alongside other fleeing members of their gang identified as Atewogboye Ibrahim a.k.a Apeleko, Lati Olorifunfun and one nicknamed Tornado, were responsible for the killing of one Omoyajowo Olanipekun at Okesa Junction, Ado-Ekiti on 18/06/2024, the killing of one Ibrahim Taofeek Ayinde at Opposite Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti, and the killing of one Abdullahi Dogon-Daji inside Bisi Market, Ado-Ekiti, on 20/06/2024.
They equally confessed to the attacking and killing of one Abdullahi Abubakar on 19/06/2024 during the process of robbing him of his motorcycle. The gang equally shot one Olakunle Rasak at Ori Apata, Along Adebayo Area, Ado-Ekiti, who is presently receiving treating in the hospital.
The Suspects confessed further that the Killing of Abdullahi Dogon-Daji inside Bisi Market was a mistake as they actually targeted a rival cult member who was standing beside the victim.
According to them, the attack was to revenge the killing of one Okunola Dami a.k.a Dami Richie, who was their member, that was shot dead on 27/05/2024 around Dalimore Area, beside Oluyemi Kayode Stadium, Ado-Ekiti, by members of a rival secret cult group.
The PPRO said investigation is ongoing to arrest other fleeing members and promised that the suspects arrested will be arraigned accordingly.
