On Monday, the Ogun State Police Command announced the arrest of nine alleged members of a kidnap gang terrorizing the Abeokuta-Ayetoro route in the state’s Abeokuta-North Local Government area.
DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, stated this in a statement on Monday.
Oyeyemi stated that the suspects were apprehended at their hideout at Abule Oba, which is located along Ayetoro road in Abeokuta.
The accused were apprehended when two ‘okada riders,’ Hammed Taiwo and Kehinde Jimoh, who were their errand boys, were spotted in Abeokuta-North Local Government’s Rounder region.
According to Oyeyemi, the criminals were apprehended after reliable intelligence was received by police officers at the Sabo/Ilupeju Divisional Headquarters.
He explained that the arrest was successful as a result of the collaboration between the police, local hunters, So Safe Corps, Oodua People Congress, Vigilante and Men of Amotekun Corps.
He noted that some of their victims have identified them as their abductors.
He said, “The suspects: Hammed Taiwo, Kehinde Jimoh, Umar Sanda, Sanda Aliu, Ali Morandu, Usman Abubakar, Usman Mohammed, Umaru Ahmadu and Umaru Momodu, were arrested following a credible intelligence gathered by policemen at Sabo/Ilupeju Divisional Headquarters, that Hammed Taiwo and Kehinde Jimoh, who are errand okada riders to the kidnap syndicate, were sighted somewhere in the Rounder area of Abeokuta-North local government.
“Upon the information, the DPO Sabo/Ilupeju division, SP Mustapha Opawoye, quickly mobilised his men and moved to the area, where the duo of Hammed Taiwo and Kehinde Jimoh were apprehended.
“On interrogation, they confessed being part of the syndicate, but their own role is to run errands and watch the environment to prevent law enforcement agents from getting to them unaware.
“Their confession led to the discovery of the hideout of the group at Abule Oba, off Ayetoro road, where they always met after collecting ransom from their victims.
“Having discovered the hideout, the DPO mobilised his men, So Safe Corps, OPC men, local hunters and men of Amotekun Corps and subsequently stormed the place where all the nine members of the syndicate were arrested.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects are the group terrorising Abeokuta/Ayetoro road in recent times. Some of their victims have been able to identify them as their abductors.”
The state Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, has, however, ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to the anti kidnapping section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for discreet investigation.