By 
By Charles Nwabardi
Within the Last two months, the Ogun State Security Network (Amotekun Corps) has made milestone achievements in crime fighting by myriad of arrests of suspected criminal elements within the various parts of the State.
This was contained in a Release to securityreporters.com signed by the State Corps Commander, CP David A. Akinremi, psc (+) rtd.
According to the Statement, in the last two (2) months the Corps arrested a total of thirty (30) suspects in different parts of the State for offences ranging from Armed Robbery, Kidnapping, Cultism, Vandalization of IBEDC Electricity Cables and Aluminium Conductors, Bestiality, House Breaking, Stealing, Receiving Stolen Property, Unlawful possession of weeds suspected to be Indian Hemps amongst others.
The Commander confirmed that most of these cases have been handed over to the State Police Headquarters, the NDLEA as well as some Divisional Police Officers in the spirit of cooperation.
Akinremi also said in the release that others are still undergoing preliminary investigation.
“Items recovered during the same period includes a Lexus 350 SUV, six (6) Motorcycles, four (4) double barrel rifles (cut to size), ten (10) locally made pistols and two (2) single barrel (cut to size) including a rifle earlier snatched some months ago from SO SAFE Corps of the State, Cassava grinding machines, large quantity of iron rods, electricity transmission cables, aluminium conductors, wires, over 50 kilograms of weeds suspected to be Indian Hemp.
The Commander made it known that on the 11th May, 2022 at about 2000hours, one Moris Alofa (M) of Opete village via Aiyetoro, Ogun State reported to Amotekun Corps, Imeko-Afon that on the same date at about 1500 hours, he left his village to go to Owode-Afon market along Alagbon Meje, Obada-Idi Emi road with his unregistered Bajaj Boxer motorcycle with Engine no. DUXWMF48265-52DU1954 and Chassis number MD2A18AX8MWF78049 valued three hundred and fifty five thousand naira (#355,000.00). At Alagbon Meje junction, he met one Obatoki Sadiq (M), Sanni Ismaila (M); and two others now at large.
The said suspect, Obatoki Sodiq (M) then gave him the sum of five hundred naira to buy soft drink for him and his colleague when returning from the market.
On his return according to him, he met only Obatoki Sodiq at the junction who collected the soft drink and afterward asked him to convey him to Owode-Afon market.
Continuing, at a point while on the way, the said Obatoki asked the rider to stop for him to urinate which he did only for the suspect to slap him and began to struggle the key of the motorcycle with him but he resisted.
When it was obvious to the suspect that he could not subdue the rider, he brought out a locally made pistol and pointed same at him, hence he surrendered the key of the motorcycle.
“The suspect (Obatoki Sadiq), was however, later arrested by our operatives based on credible intelligence at his hide out”.
Preliminary investigation revealed that immediately the suspect snatched the motorcycle, he admitted taking it to the second suspect; one Sanni Ismaila at Onigo village via Owode Afon who in turn hid the motorcycle in a bush near the village.
According to the suspect, three (3) days after, they negotiated the sale of the motorcycle with two buyers now at large who bought the motorcycle for two hundred thousand naira (#200,000.00K) and the proceeds shared by them.
The Command reiterated its resolve to apprehend the two run-away suspects.
The reel out of the Corps achievements seemed unending as CP Akinremi (rtd) revealed:
“On 13th June, 2022 at about 1000hours, one Abdulazeez Adebayo ‘M’, of 14, Azeez Sumonu street Kojola Agbowo UI Ibadan; the manager of Noble Hurst Global Farm Limited, Itakanna village via Owode-Egba reported a case of stealing of thirteen cows valued Ten Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira (N10,400,000.00) from his farm. He further stated that on getting to the farm, he discovered that two (2) herders whose names he gave as Umar and Ali both males employed to look after the animals have absconded.
“In the course of preliminary enquiry and based on credible intelligence, the vehicle with which the cows were conveyed was traced and the driver apprehended. His arrest led our operatives to the suspect who conspired with the two absconded herders to steal the cows and subsequently the buyers in Ogijo abattoir who not only admitted receiving the cows but that he sold some to other buyers who are presently at large”.
“Other arrested suspects on interrogation also admitted the different roles they played in the commission of the crime. Efforts are still being intensified to apprehend the remaining buyer”.
The Statement in continuation of the gallant breakthrough of the Corps also showed that on 17th June, 2022 at about 1125hours at Ilu-Tuntun Olorunsogo, Ajowa, in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, one Ibrahim Ismaila ‘m’ was arrested for having canal knowledge of a she-goat.
On the day in question, one Jimoh Opeyemi ‘m’ of Ilu-Tuntun Olorunsogo was going to a building site where he works as an iron-bender, when he saw the suspect having canal knowledge of a she-goat. He immediately stopped to have a clear view of the scene and subsequently raised alarm which attracted people around the area including an operative of Amotekun Corps on neighbourhood patrol. Hence, the arrest of the suspect.
“On 15th June, 2022 at about 1320 hours, Operatives of the Corps attached to Ijebu East Local Government Area received information from some good spirited members of the public that a number of men were sighted at the junction of Hallmark University, Benin-Sagamu Expressway, Ogbere suspected to be vandals.
“Our operatives quickly moved to the scene, and in the process arrested two (2) suspects namely: Okoduwa Efeh ‘M’ and Nancwat Joshua ‘M’ who were vandalizing electricity cables, aluminium Conductor and wires, property of IBEDC while others escaped. The suspects on interrogation admitted being members of a criminal gang which specialized in vandalizing cables, wires and aluminium conductor in Ogere and its environs which has left the surrounding communities without electricity for almost a year.
“The total value of the electricity cable aluminium conductors etc. so far stolen from the electric poles is estimated at twenty million, two hundred and forty-four thousand, and five hundred naira (#20,244,500.00) only. The vehicle on standby meant to convey the vandalized IBEDC equipment was a Honda Civic Saloon car with registration number LAGOS LSD 532 CX but the driver on sighting the community members and our Operatives sped off from the scene, while Okoduwa Efeh and Nancwat Joshua were arrested.” The Release pointed further.
In a related development, on Friday 1st July 2022, at about 1340 hours, Amotekun Operatives in Ijebu North Local Government Area arrested the above three (3) Armed Robbery suspects. The first two (2) suspects namely; Azeez Wasiu ‘M’ and Azeez Adeyemi ‘M’ were arrested in the premises of one Alalukurani Amidu K. ‘M’ of No. 3 Ipase Street Ojowo, Ijebu Igbo, Ogun state, where they had gained entrance through the visitors’ toilet and stole some household items which includes a Samsung Galaxy Tab, A power bank, five (5) assorted leather wrist watches, jewelleries, Electric wires, Itel phone set all valued at over five hundred thousand naira (N500,000.00) including fifty thousand naira (N50,000.00) cash.
The suspects were arrested when the owner of the house got home at about 1520 hours from work and saw the duo in his house. He immediately raised alarm which drew the attention of our Operatives on patrol and some members of the community, hence their arrest and the recovery of the stolen items.
“On interrogation, the two (2) suspects confessed to their membership of Eiye Cult Group having been initiated at different times in 2020 and 2021 respectively. They also admitted being members of a robbery gang operating in some parts of Ijebu-Ode and gave the name of other members of the gang as Atunrase Tobi ‘M’, Balogun Lanre ‘M’ and Adesanya Yussuf ‘M’ while a locally made pistol was recovered from them”
Meanwhile, the case has been handed over to the Police; efforts are still ongoing to apprehend other members of this criminal gang who are still on run.
In the same vein, on Thursday 5th July, 2022 at about 2100 hours, the above named members of Aiye Cult group and others who are presently at large went for one of their usual meetings in a bush located along Kakanfo village in Obada-Owode, in Imeko-Afon Local Government area of Ogun State armed with a locally made pistol loaded with live cartridges. While at the meeting, at about 2300 hours of same date, while the said Jinai Sunday was attempting to remove the live cartridge, the pistol accidentally exploded resulting in serious injuries on his left arm. The Coordinator of Imeko-Afon Local Government Area acting on credible intelligence immediately swung into action which led to the arrest of the injured suspect and thereafter one Adejare Kehinde ‘M’. The said Adejare Kehinde interrogation revealed, was an agent who procured locally made pistols for the gang from Republic of Benin.
Akinremi pointed out that a member of the gang named Ogundele Elijah ‘M’ alias “Ogun 07”, who confessed to being an ex-convict having been served six (6) months sentence in Ilaro Correctional Centre for Cultism was later arrested based on earlier confession by the first two (2) suspects, Operatives of the Corps are however on the trail of other mentioned members of the gang still at large.
“On Wednesday 6th July,2022, at about 0630 hours, a report reached Yewa South Local Government Amotekun Corps through one Akinlade Oloyede ‘M’ a welder by profession, that his workshop at Barrack Road, Igbo Ewe, Okebesi, Ilaro Ogun State was burgled by unknown hoodlums and the following items were stolen; One Welding machine valued sixty thousand naira (#60,000), two (2) pepper grinding machines valued eighty thousand naira (#80,000) each valued eighty thousand naira (#80,000), two (2) iron doors valued Seventy thousand naira (#70,000) naira and other items which total valued is five hundred and ten thousand naira (#510,000).
Consequently, our operatives on the receipt of this information swung into action and based on credible intelligence, the welding machine and the two (2) griding machines were recovered from the first two (2) suspects (Salako Abiodun and Orobiyi Taiye) respectively at different locations in Ilaro. One of the suspects Orobiyi Taiye claimed that the welding machine was brought to him by one Ola ‘M’ alias “Twenty” for sale while the second alleged that he bought the two (2) grinding machines from unknown scrap dealer. Our operatives are working on intelligence that could lead to their arrest”. The Commander continued.
Raimi Yussuf ‘M’, aged 40 years resident at No. 7, Odupele street, opp. NEPA Road, Ijebu-Ode also presented himself to one Olufeyisan Oluwaseun ’F’ and four others as an employee of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company who could facilitate access to procurement of electric poles and meters from the Company. The suspect in the process obtained by false pretence the sum of One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N1,500,000.00) from his unsuspecting victims and thereafter absconded to an unknown location in the past six (6) months.
He was later apprehended by our Operatives in Ijebu-Ode on 23rd July, 2022 and upon interrogation, he admitted presenting himself as an employee of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) which led to his being given a total sum of One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N1,500,000.00) though he only work for officials of the Company as a labourer when his services are required. When questioned as to what has become of the money so obtained, the suspect claims that the money has been used for other purposes.
“We will continue to show our Corps readiness commitment in order to rid Ogun State of hoodlums and other Criminal Elements” the Commander said in the Release.
On 30th July, 2022 at about 1000 hours, David Richard, who was the leader of a kidnap syndicate operating in waterside Local Government and its environ was apprehended at Yemoji Village in Waterside by Operatives of the Corps in the Local Government consequent upon credible information received. The suspect has been at large after masterminding the kidnap of one (1) Alhaji Abdulrasheed Folorunsho a.k.a. Alhaji Agba on 7th October, 2021.
“The suspect on interrogation admitted being a member of the syndicate that kidnapped not only Alhaji Abdulrasheed but had taken part in similar kidnappings in the area. Exhibits recovered from him include one techno android handset, three (3) other handsets some criminal charms etc. The suspect has also been handed over to the Police for further action.”
The Amotekun Commander noted in the release, that the above enumerated breakthrough by the Corps was made possible with the cooperation of the residents of the State.
“This cooperation notwithstanding; like Oliver Twist, we ask for more so that together we can rid our dear State of activities of some criminal elements who may want to disturb the peace of our communities.”
The Statement also extolled the support of traditional rulers in Ogun State and religious leaders in ensuring the fight against all forms of criminalities is appreciated and “Our appeal is for them to continue in this regard.
“On the part of our parents and guardians, it is incumbent on them to inculcate good moral values in their children and wards as well as warn them of dire consequences of engaging in crime and criminalities.
“The State Amotekun Corps remains resolute in the fight against all criminal elements while sounding a note of warning that there will be no hiding place for them in our State as we continue in our determination to ensure all residents of the State sleep with their two eyes closed,” the Commander assured.
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