The Ogun State Police Command has announced the arrest of 11 suspects allegedly involved in robbery operations in various areas of the state including Omu-Ijebu in Ijebu-Ode, Sagamu, Sango-Ota, and Ilese-Ijebu on Friday and Saturday.
Confirming the arrests to PUNCH Metro on Sunday, the command’s spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, said that the suspects: Babangida Umar, Mubarak Abdullah, Ramon Idris, Adeyeye Bola, and Ibrahim Oseni were apprehended in Omu-Ijebu on Saturday.
Others, including Oritunmise Ibrahim and Daniel Samuel, were nabbed in Ilese-Ijebu, while Muhammed Kola, Opeyemi Alani, and Saheed Kelani were apprehended in the Lafenwa area of Abeokuta on Saturday and Friday respectively for similar offences.
According to a police source, around six suspected robbers, including Idris, Oseni, and Bola, raided several apartments in Omu-Ijebu armed with weapons at about 11pm. on Saturday while the occupants were asleep.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the suspects robbed the occupants of their personal belongings, including iPhone 13 and 14 Promax.
While the robbery was in progress, our correspondent learnt from the police source that the occupants screamed for help, leading to the arrest of the three suspects.
Odutola, confirming this to PUNCH Metro on Sunday, stated that efforts were underway to apprehend other fleeing suspects, adding, “Three members of the robbery gang have been arrested. Presently, we are working on apprehending other fleeing suspects.
“In the meantime, the two suspects that were arrested will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department once the preliminary investigation is completed.”
Meanwhile, as the command grappled with the Omu-Ijebu robbery, a similar incident occurred in the Sabo area of Sagamu when a commercial motorcyclist identified as Jibril Isah was attacked by suspected robbers.
Our correspondent learnt that the incident, which occurred at about 10pm on Saturday, left the victim with a machete cut while his Bajaj motorcycle with number plate JGB 811 VC was forcefully taken away.
Odutola told PUNCH Metro that police had intensified efforts to apprehend the suspected assailants, adding, “The victim is responding to treatment in the hospital, and efforts are ongoing to arrest those responsible for the crime.”
Also, during a patrol operation in Ilese-Ijebu at about 6:36pm, following intelligence from some members of the community, the policemen in the division arrested some suspects during an armed robbery operation in the Faari area of Ilese-Ijebu.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the policemen were lying in ambush just before the area where the operation was ongoing after receiving intelligence from members of the community. While attempting to escape after the robbery operation, they were rounded up by the police.
Odutola, who also confirmed this incident, said, “Our men recovered some firearms from the suspects. Our men also searched the suspects’ houses, where different kinds of weapons were found and recovered. One of the suspects had been arrested twice last year for a similar offence.
“Also, about three robbery suspects were arrested in the Sango-Ota area of the state on April 4. These suspects, including Babangida Umar, Mubarak Abdullah, and Abubakar Muhammed, are specialised in armoured cable theft. They were carrying out the act when our men stormed the area and arrested the trio.”
Similarly, in the state capital on Friday, PUNCH Metro learnt that three suspected robbers were arrested while attempting to break into several retail shops in the Lafenwa area of Abeokuta.
Odutola described the three suspects as “notorious members of a criminal syndicate” that had been terrorising communities such as Rounder, Mile 2, Ogun Radio, and a host of others in Abeokuta.
