Crime

Police parade soldier, 14 others for armed robbery

Published

7 years ago

May 26, 2018

Olu Emmanuel

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A soldier and naval officer are among 15 suspects paraded by the Oyo state command on Friday for armed robbery.

The Oyo state commissioner of Police, Abiodun Odude, during the parade, said the naval officer was arrested with 12 members of his gang.

He said: “Six of the suspects were arrested in their criminal hideout at Ilasa area, Ogbomoso. This led to the arrest of other members of the gang at various locations.

“The lance corporal often used his position and uniform to transport vehicles snatched by the gang and helped dispose of the stolen vehicles. ‘’

He said 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 suspects 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, who confessed to the crime during the parade, 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 molesting their female victims.

Olaide, National Daily reliably gathered, was reportedly a member of the 202 battalion, Bama, Maiduguri, while Lawal deserted the Nigerian Army Depot, Zaria in 2014.