By Ralph Oluwatoyin.
The Ekiti State Police Command, has clamped down on suspects in connection with different reprehensive crimes.
Parading the suspects on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, CP Dare Ogundare, at the Police Headquarters in Ado-Ekiti, the State capital, the PPRO in the State, DSP Sunday Abutu reeled out various offences commited by the suspects. Noting that on 06/04/2023, the Command’s Rapid Response Squad (RRS), through a bush combing operation, arrested one Augustine Agbogbo, Adeniyi Olamilekan a.k.a LOKO, Williams Ukeuima Friday a.k.a COMMANDO and Ademoh Gabriel inside the forest close to Igede farm settlement.
During interrogation, the suspects confessed to be members of a kidnapping syndicate who have engaged in series of kidnapping operations in Ekiti State including the kidnapping of one Ajibade Adeleke on 06/06/2022 at Igede farm settlement in Ayede-Ekiti, the kidnapping of one Eisape Victoria on 20/12/2022, amongst others where ransoms were collected. Said the PPRO.
Items recovered from them are: one locally made single barrel gun, one dane gun, three live cartridges and a bag of weeds suspected to be Indian hemp.
Similarly, on 05/04/2023 at about the RRS operatives, during a bush combing operation inside Kajola Forest Reserve, arrested one Usman Ali who had been on the Command wanted list since December 2022 for different kidnapping incidents in Ekiti State alongside one Aliu Shehu a.k.a DANTIN and Salah a.k.a Commander, who were neutralized by the command’s operatives on 20/12/2022.
During interrogation, the suspect confessed to be a member of a kidnapping syndicate terrorizing innocent road users along Ado/Ikole-Ekiti road
Also, on 04/04/2023, through a credible tip-off, the Command operatives, in synergy with the Amotekun Security Network, Ekiti state, arrested One Abdullahi Bello in Ado-Ekiti.
Investigation revealed that the suspect was among the gang that abducted one Omoboade Adesina on 22/4/2022. A cash sum of three hundred and forty-one thousand, five hundred naira reasonably suspected to be proceeds of ransom was recovered from him.
In the same vein, on 05/04/2023, one Usman Bature was arrested by the Command operatives inside the forest reserve in Oke-Ako Ekiti.
During investigation, it was revealed that the arrested suspect was among the hoodlums that laid siege along Oke Ako/Irele road on 03/09/2022, where the vehicle conveying one Ayebulu Segun, a civil defence officer alongside his siblings, was attacked. The officer was shot by the hoodlums and died on the spot while two other members of his family were kidnapped. Concerted effort intensified by the Command operatives later led to the rescue of the two kidnapped victims.
During interrogation, the suspect confessed to the commission of the crime alongside other members of his gang who are currently at large.
Still on the kidnapping issue, on 31/03/2023, upon a tip-off, one Nureni Isah ‘m’, Igbekele Afolabi Fagbemi ‘m’ and Sunday Olawoye ‘m’ were arrested by the Command operatives along Ijan road, Ado-Ekiti.
During the arrest of the suspects, one Okolie Bethel Chisom was found held hostage by the suspects and rescued.
Investigation revealed that the suspects lured the victim from Delta State to Ekiti State before being kidnapped and forced to pay a sum of two million, two hundred thousand naira before they were arrested. The arrested suspects confessed to the commission of the crime.
In another development, in a bid to curb the clash between the rival secret cult groups known as Black Axe Aiye and Supreme Eiye Confraternity, the Command operatives, through intelligence gathering, arrested one Malik Jamiu a.k.a Jamorano, a suspected member of a secret cult group.
Upon arrest of the suspect, two locally made pistols and two live cartridges were found in his possession. During investigation, the suspect confessed to be a member of one of the secret cult groups and mentioned the names of other members at large. Effort to arrest other fleeing members is in progress. Abutu explained.
Likewise, on 01/04/2023, the RRS operatives while acting upon a tip-off, arrested one Bello Lateef a.k.a AWOLU, Bello Jumoke, and Adewoye Ayodeji for being suspected members of secret cults and sponsoring the clash between the supreme Eiye confraternity and black axe ‘Aiye’ confraternity in Ado-Ekiti recently. During interrogation, the suspects confessed to be drug Barons.
The operatives of the Command in Odo-Ado Divisional Police Headquarters in collaboration with some community members in Oke-Ureje, Ado-Ekiti, has on 6/04/2023, arrested one SALIU OYEBAMIJI and AJISEFE MAYOWA with two stolen motorcycles.
It was gathered that the two suspects carted away the two motorcycles from where they were parked and immediately rode them away, but they were immediately given a hot chase by the Police operatives in conjunction with some community members and were apprehended and the two motorcycles recovered. During interrogation, the suspects confessed to the commission of the crime.
The Anti-Kidnapping Unit of he Command on 4/3/2023, also arrested one Jimoh Gani for participating in the robbing and raping of a student of the University of Education, Ikere-Ekiti.
Investigation revealed that the victim boarded a vehicle from Ado-Ekiti to Oye-Ekiti but on their way to Oye-Ekiti, the driver changed route and took her to A.U.D Secondary School where she was gang raped by the suspect alongside two others who are currently at large and robbed of her Tecno phone valued sixty-five thousand naira and cash sum of sixteen thousand naira. During interrogation, the suspect confessed to have committed the heinous crime alongside one Femi Ayobami and Alfa Kayode, all of Ado-Ekiti, who escaped the scene during arrest.
Their criminal hideouts was searched and several criminal charms used for their nefarious activities were recovered. The PPRO promised that all the arrested suspects will be arraigned accordingly.
