End of the Road for Hoodlums in Ogun

Femi Ogbonnikan reports that the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Ahmed Iliyasu and his gallant officers, towards the end of 2016 arrested several hoodlums terrorising the state and its environs

Luck ran out on Oyedele Abayomi, a 21-year-old suspect who is currently being detained and quizzed by detectives attached to the Federal Special Anti – Robbery Squad (FSARS) of the Ogun State Police Command, Imagbon, Abeokuta, over his alleged involvement in cult-related activities and armed robbery incidents in Sango-Ota and its environs.
Abayomi was arrested at their hideout in Sango on November 23, 2016, following a tip-off, while others escaped.

An informed police source hinted that the suspect, alongside his other members at large, apart from their involvement in cult-related activities, were also engaged in armed robbery attacks on residents of the affected Sango community in recent times.

The source further hinted that the unwholesome activities of the gang have been giving residents of the community sleepless nights, thus prompting the detectives to launch a manhunt for the suspects.
“When we received a tip-off that they had converged on a hideout within Sango, preparatory to launching a fresh attack and we swiftly swung into action and we were able to apprehend one of them, while others took to their heels and escaped.

“On several occasions, the gang has been responsible for wanton attacks with their rival groups, and on other helpless residents within the community,” hinted the source.
In an encounter with Abayomi, the suspect confessed he was initiated into the Eiye Confraternity group out of ignorance.

“There is a joint by Oando Filling Station, Iju, in Sango, where I used to go and smoke India hemp. It was there I met one Seyi Williams whom I later knew to be the leader of the Eiye Confraternity in Iju community. It was there Seyi approached me and asked me to join their group. But before then, I had been a member of the Eiye Confraternity when I was still a student of the Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu campus, Lagos State. I studied Computer Engineering there. I graduated with a National Diploma (ND) certificate in year 2013. And when I left the school and put the membership behind me, hoping to turn a new leaf, be a good guy and face the reality of life. But after two years, that I could not lay my hands on something tangible to do, in order to make ends meet and I fell to the antics of the Eiye Confraternity group in my area of residence. I have no job and I was walking about the streets. I stay with my parents.

“Even our leader, Seyi Williams, is no longer in the country. He has escaped and travelled to Cairo, the capital of Egypt. It happened that, sometime last year, we were engaged in a bloody clash with our rival group members and the police detectives were after him. I didn’t take part in the attack, but in order for him to escape arrest he had to travel out of the country.”

A Pump Action Rifle (PAR), a locally made pistol and a hammer recovered by the police detectives, Abayomi claimed, they all belong to their fleeing leader, Seyi Williams.

According to Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Ahmed Iliyasu, while parading the suspect along with others before newsmen at the Ogun State Police Command headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, said “information was received at about 11:30 pm on November 23, 2016, that some hoodlums who had been terrorising residents of Sango and its environs, were sighted converging on a black spot behind Oando Filling Station, Iju and detectives swung into action and burst their hideout where one, Oyedele Abayomi was arrested, while others took to their heels. Efforts are in top gear to track down the fleeing members of the gang,” the CP said.

He added that the suspect would be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded into the matter.
In a related development, five suspected armed robbers have been arrested by the police.
The arrested suspects were identified as Damilola Solanke, Akintola Adeshola, Abdulkareem Ismaila, Olamilekan Johnson and Omidina Ahmed.

The Ogun State Police boss while parading the five suspects before newsmen on Tuesday, December 20, 2016, said “the suspects specialise in raping ladies, after which their victims would be dispossessed of their belongings. Upon receiving information at about 10:30p.m. on November 27, 2016, FSARS operatives swung into action and arrested the five suspects.

“They had all confessed to have raped a lady victim along Abiola Way, Abeokuta and collected her handset and a sum of N55, 000 found on her,” the CP said.

Similarly, four members of an armed robbery gang are currently being quizzed by the detectives attached to the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) of the Ogun State Police Command, Imagbon, Abeokuta.

The four suspects, Saburi Aremu, Jolaoso Wole, Rashidi Shodeinde and Lawal Toheeb, it was gathered, were apprehended on December 15, 2016, shortly after they had robbed students of Government Technical College of their belongings which include two mobile handsets and a sum of N2,500 at Isale-Oja, Kuto, Abeokuta.

According to one of the suspects, Rashidi Shodeinde, the quest to quickly raise money for his wedding led him into the robbery.

“I had picked a date for my wedding but I had nobody to assist me financially and that led me to join the bad boys, in order to raise funds for it. I just wanted to surprise my fiancee with an elaborate wedding. Now, I am regretting my action and the wedding can no longer take place,” the 31-year-old suspect said.
All the suspects, the Ogun State Police Commissioner said they would be arraigned in courts as soon as investigations are concluded into the separate incidents.