RESIDENTS of Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State were in a joyous mood recently when men of the Ogun State Police Command, Eleweran Abeokuta, smashed a 7-man armed robbery gang that had been terrorising the state since 2009.
The gang, according to sources at the police headquarters, was responsible for a series of armed robbery attacks in areas like Sango Ota, Ifo, Ijebu Ode and Abeokuta, the state capital.
Crime and Secutiry learnt that the gang was well armed with sophisticated weapons, which had been helping them to operate incessantly, until it recently met its waterloo.
The gang, according to the police, was responsible for the murder of a businessman, Segun Babalola, who was killed on the day he moved into his new building in Abeokuta.
The police further informed that “the gang is deadly. They robbed the man and after dispossessing his entire household of their valuables, they went ahead to kill him and even removed his two eyes, probably for rituals. It was a gruesome murder.
“But to God be the glory, we have been able to recover the man’s handsets and other items from the suspect.”
On how the suspects were nabbed, police sources told Crime and Security that a member of the gang, Taye Idris, had wanted to perform a solo operation by luring some businessmen from Oyo State into a bush in Ifo area of the state, with the intention of robbing them of their money.
“You see, sometime last month, some businessmen came to Abeokuta from Oyo State, with the intention of buying some fairly used motorcycles. The suspect got wind of the information, and he quickly arranged how they (businessmen) would be robbed. He took them to a desolate area in Ifo, (in a bush) with the promise that he would get some fairly used motorcycles for them to buy.
“After taking them to the bush, he invited another member of the gang to join him in the operation. They (suspects) robbed the business men of their money. However, one of the victims was lucky. He escaped from the scene of the armed robbery and got to a village. He was able to mobilise some villagers and they stormed the bush and fished out the suspects. They handed them over to the police at Ifo police divsion,” police sources informed.
Crime and Security gathered that when information about the arrest of the suspects flitered to the other members of the gang, they made efforts to establish contact with the suspects in police cell at Ifo police division through female members of the gang.
“When we arrested the suspects, we started investigations and in the process, two ladies came to visit them (suspects) in the cell. We suspected the ladies, but we decided to play along. After their visit, we detailed some policemen to trail them and that paid off.
“It was discovered that about five other members of the gang had parked their operational vehicle at about two kilometres away from the police station, while the ladies took a taxi to the police station. We trailed them to where other members of the gang were waiting for them (the ladies).
When the ladies got there, they alighted from the taxi and joined the other members of the gang. The ladies were briefing them about what transpired at the police station when policemen rounded them up. The boys escaped, but one of the ladies, Kudirat Adebimpe, was unlucky, as we arrested her,” said the police.
Police informed Crime and Security that when a search was conducted on their vehicle, two AK 47 guns, 167 rounds of ammunition and seven magazines were recovered from the vehicle. However, the case took another dimension when it was discovered during investigation that the gang was responsible for the murder of a businessman, Segun Babalola.
“When we searched the vehicle, we recovered some items allegedly stolen from the businessman’s house. Also, while scrolling the handset found with the lady suspect, we saw a text message sent by the deceased businessman to one of his friends. The deceased had sent his account number to one of his business partners. We called the business partner and he confirmed that the handset belonged to his deceased friend and that was how we were able to establish a link between the gang and the murder,” the police said.
However, in an interview with Crime and Security in the police cell at Police Headquarters, Eleweran, the suspects denied the allegation.
First to speak was Tayo Idris “I am a panel beater, I am not an armed robber. I am also into the business of buying fairly used motorcycles.”
In her own defence, the lady among them, Kudirat Adebayo, said she only went to the police station in company with her friend to see a male friend detained at the station. On how she came accross the handset the police found in her possession, she said, “I got it from a friend when my handset got spoilt. I didn’t know anything about the murder of the businesman.”
The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Musa Daura, told Crime and Security that investigation was still on and that efforts would be made to arrest the fleeing members of the gang.
“We shall not relent in our efforts until we are able to apprehend other members of the gang. We knowthat it is very difficult for the suspects to admit their involvement in the crimes, but we are trying to conclude investigations and take the matter to court. It is the court that will determine whether they are guilty or not,” said the CP.
SOURCE:TRIBUNE
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