The Osun State Police Command, on Monday, paraded seven suspected kidnappers, who were said to have planned to abduct one Alhaja Toyosi Ismail before their plot was thwarted by the Inspector-General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team.
The suspects are Sheriff Adams, Amusat Mumini, Adebayo Segun, Babalola Williams, Damola Adeniyi, Idris Sodiq and Adekunle Egunjobi.
The state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Ige, explained that Sheriff was the leader of the gang and was contacted to carry out the act.
Ige stated, “The prime suspect contacted one Amusat and they commenced plans to carry out the act. Upon the arrest of the two of them, they listed the other five suspects, who were part of the plot to kidnap Alhaja Ismail Toyosi, who resides in Oko, Oyo State.
“They were, however, arrested before they could execute their plot. During searches on their houses, one locally-made single-barrelled gun, one axe and two cutlasses were recovered by the police.”
The police boss also paraded four suspected highway robbers said to be terrorising commuters on the Ile-Ife/Ibadan Expressway.
The suspects were apprehended on Saturday, June 1, by a police team deployed in the Egbuu area near the Ikoyi junction, in response to distress calls by some people, who said robbers were operating on the road.
Ige said, “Our men went to the scene and the hoodlums, who were armed with sophisticated rifles, on sighting the police patrol team, engaged them in an exchange of gunfire.
“The suspects were overpowered and they fled into the bush. While combing the bush, four suspects, Kamali Katsina, Abdulrasheed Suab, Jaske Ismail and Abubakar Saliu, were arrested.”
According to her, seven empty shells of ammunition and one Toyota Corolla car with number plate, Osun FFE 83 AE with broken glasses and without an ignition key, were recovered from the scene.
She added that efforts were being intensified to apprehend the fleeing members of the gang, while those already in police net would be charged to court after investigation had been concluded.
Similarly, police operatives at the Zone 2 Command, Onikan, Lagos, have arrested 27 hoodlums made up of suspected murderers, armed robbers, kidnappers and land grabbers said to be terrorising Lagos and Ogun states.
Six of the hoodlums, Kehinde Oladipupo, 38; Kofoworola Olaonipekun, 35; Nurudeen Oseni, 39; Azeez Balogun, 39; Adedeji Efunogbon, 40; and Adewale Eyebiokin, 26, were said to be members of the Oodua People’s Congress.
They were alleged to have kidnapped and murdered one Musbau Olawale, aka Mr Long, from Elegbe village in the Owoyele Idoleyin area via Ododo, Ogun State.
It was learnt that the OPC members abducted Olawale from a motorcycle and told the motorcyclist that they were taking him to the police station, only for them to take him to somewhere else and killed him.
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Zone 2 Command, Lawal Shehu, said on Monday that the suspects were arrested with five locally-made double and single-barrelled guns; four pump action guns; 23 live cartridges; two cutlasses; one expended cartridge; and assorted charms.
The AIG stated that on April 2, 2019, a case of murder, malicious damage and assault was reported through a petition addressed to his office.
He noted that the petition was referred to the Commander, Zonal Intervention Squad, for discreet investigation.
He added that on April 10, a team of ZIS operatives swung into action and moved to the Alagbado area of Lagos to arrest the suspects.
Shehu stated, “The suspects confessed that they belong to the Oodua People’s Congress under the leadership of one Bakare Taofeek, aka Olori, who hired them as thugs to take over a tricycle garage at Moshalashi bus stop, Alagbado, Lagos.
“The suspects further stated that they fought the chairman and the other members of the park, while one Sakiru Bashiru, a commercial tricycle rider, was shot dead and others sustained bullets injuries.
“Exhibits recovered from them include four locally-made single and double-barrelled guns with five live cartridges and one expended cartridge.”
He added that investigation was in progress as efforts were being intensified to make more arrests and recover more weapons.
He said the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigation was concluded.
Shehu stated that so far, the command had recovered 145 firearms consisting of 45 pump action rifles, eight AK-47 riffles, 450 pieces of live cartridges, charms and cutlasses from hoodlums in both Lagos and Ogun states.
The AIG stated that the feat was made possible by the newly-launched Operation Puff Adder, adding that the outfit was charged with the responsibility of nipping crime in the bud.
Shehu warned members of the outfit that the Operation Puff Adder must not be bastardised by policemen, adding that they were meant to go out and chase out criminals wherever they were so that Nigerians could live in a crime-free society and sleep with their eyes closed.
“Let me also warn our policemen that Operation Puff Adder is not supposed to be bastardised by our policemen, who are meant to go out and chase out criminals wherever they are so that we can have a crime-free society in order that our people can sleep with their eyes closed,” he added.