Operatives of the Nigeria Police, Oyo State Command have arrested trans-border robbers and notorious kidnappers, just as they recovered also five vehicles and firearms from the suspects.
Newsonline reports that the arrest while the trans-border robbers were arrested on September 1, the notorious kidnappers were arrested on July 21, all in 2022.
A statement sent to our reporter, by the Oyo state police command read, “On 01/09/2022 at about 1400hrs, a team of Police Operatives attached to the Oyo State Police Command’s Monitoring Unit, Ogbomoso operational base while on an intelligence-based anti-crime patrol within Ogbomoso town intercepted the kingpin of a notorious Trans-Border Car Snatching Syndicate along Ogbomoso/Oyo and when he was queried about the ownership of one KIA-RIA Car which he was driving, he was unable to give any satisfactory explanation.
“Hence the said criminal kingpin who later gave his name as Yahaya Abubakar was arrested and upon interrogation, it was discovered that the car was snatched from its rightful owner at gunpoint on the same date by the criminal kingpin and his syndicate members.
“He later confessed that he was driving the car to Kebbi State from where it would be handed over to his syndicate’s criminal receivers for onward movement to Niger Republic.
“The suspect confessed to having led his syndicate members to snatch several exotic cars from their owners at different locations across Oyo and other neighboring States.
“He later led the police operatives attached to the Command’s Monitoring Unit to Kebbi State where two of his criminal receivers, Nasiru Kabiru and Danladi Aminu were arrested.”
The statement which was sent to our reporter’s Twitter direct message by the Police Public Relations Officer, Oyo State Police Command, further disclosed that the notorious kidnappers were arrested at Orita challenge area in Ibadan.
It further read, “On 21st July 2022 at about 0830hrs, one Mrs Okafor Patience was conveying her children to school in a Toyota Rav-4 Jeep and on getting to Orita Challenge area, Ibadan, she was intercepted by some members of a dreaded kidnapping syndicate who were heavily armed with sophisticated firearms and some other dangerous weapons.
“The kidnappers then proceeded in bundling the said Mrs Okafor Patience, into one ML-350N Mercedes Benz Jeep which they drove off the scene, whisking her away to an unknown destination from where they subsequently contacted her relatives.
“Immediately after the case was reported at the nearest Police Station, it was transferred under the instructions of the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Police Command, CP Adebowale Williams to the Command’s Monitoring Unit for immediate action.
“In a related development the same syndicate, on 28th August 2022, intercepted one Atitebi Ganiyat, a female, who was conveying her 8-year old son to school in a Toyota Highlander Jeep along Felele link road, Lagos/Ibadan expressway.
“Fortunately, the 8-year-old boy was abandoned in the Highlander Jeep at Sagamu area of Ogun State.
“Sequel to these developments, painstaking investigations continued by the Command Monitoring Unit and these led to the arrest of the duo of Abolaji Abdulazeez Aleseke, aka, BJ and Adewale Abolarinwa, aka, Oroat their respective hideouts in connection with the crime.
“In furtherance of the above, (2)Two Pump Action Riffles, (3) three live cartridges, an ML-350 Mercedes Benz Jeep, a Toyota Corolla Vehicle which they used for the criminal activities and cash sum of Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira which was part of the ransom they collected from the 2nd victim was recovered from the suspects.
“Six additional vehicles; one Honda Element Jeep, One Lexus 350 Car, Nissan Cabster, one Honda Accord Car, One Toyota Matrix Car and a Nissan Micra Car which they later confessed to having purchased from the proceeds of the criminal venture were also recovered from the suspects.
“Upon questioning, the suspects confessed to the crime and other series of high-profile kidnapping incidents previously executed in Oyo State.”
The Oyo Police Command disclosed to our reporter that investigations are still ongoing on the suspects.