The Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Oyo State Police Command has arrested a lance corporal with the Nigerian Navy, Jimoh Adesoye, 28, twin brothers, and 12 other suspects for robbery and receiving stolen goods.
While parading the suspects, the state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Odude, said the naval rating used his uniform and position to transport vehicles snatched by the criminal gang to buyers.
He said, “The lance corporal often used his position and uniform to transport vehicles snatched by the gang and helped dispose of the stolen vehicles.
The gang, which is also on the wanted list of SARS in Lagos and Kwara states, was responsible for the spate of armed robbery and car snatching along the Ogbomoso-Ilorin Expressway, Oyo State, Lagos, Kwara and other states in the South-West.
Six of the suspects were initially arrested at their hideout in the Ilasa area of Ogbomoso by SARS unit, Ogbomoso, following credible intelligence by the command’s strategic partners.”
The commissioner said their arrest led to the arrest of other members of the gang at various locations in the state.
The alleged members of the gang, according to the police, are: Lateef Isa, 25; Taiwo Yekini, 23; Kehinde Yekini, 23; Tunji Ismail, 23; Adeyemo Babajide 23; Saka Jamiu, 20; Akin Akingbade 35; Mudashiru Abdullahi, 29; Rasheed Adeniran, 26; Lukman Jimoh, 35; Dauda Lamidi, 24; and Waheed Ganiyu, 30.
Among exhibits recovered from the gang were one pump-action rifle, seven live cartridges, four cars, motorcycles and stolen home appliances.
The naval officer said a friend introduced him to the gang while begging the police to forgive him.
He said, “I am a seaman in the Nigerian Navy. I told one of my friends that I needed a car and he introduced me to these people.
Although I have my personal car that I use, I wanted to change it and my friend introduced me to them.
“I have bought more than two cars from the gang, but I later got to know that the cars were stolen.
I know it is not right for me to buy such cars, I plead with the command to have mercy on me.”
Also paraded were a soldier, Azeez Olaide, 22; and a former soldier, Ibrahim Lawal, 22; for their involvement with a criminal gang that specialised in kidnapping and raping their female victims.
Odude, said Olaide was a member of the 202 battalion, Bama, Maiduguri, while Lawal deserted the Nigerian Army Depot, Zaria in 2014.
Also arrested with the pair was one Kehinde Adeniji, 29.
Odude said, “The modus operandi of the suspects was to go about kidnapping people, robbing them and sexually abusing female victims.
“The suspects abducted one Rasak Michael and his girlfriend, Rashidat, at the Mobil area on Oluyole Estate, Ibadan on April 31, 2018, and took them to a hotel where they were kept till the next day.
“While in captivity, the suspects took turns to rape the female victim and videotaped the sexual escapade for purpose of blackmail in the future.
The suspects also stole the victims’ ATM cards having forcefully obtained the PIN numbers of the cards and unlawfully withdrew large sums of money from their bank accounts.”
