The killers of Mrs. Olaitan Gbenle of 68 years, who was brutally murdered in her apartment around Agbede Agbofiati Community, Apata area Ibadan on November 10, 2023, kidnappers, notorious armed robbers, and cultists were among the 35 Male suspects arrested and paraded on Wednesday. February 14, 2024, by the Oyo State Police Command at its headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan.
The Command also revealed that 18 exotic vehicles, N820,000, 64 assorted mobile phones, one Master Key, one DAF Trailer, Six assorted firearms, one Human skull, One generating set, and 3,137 Cartons of seasoning cubes valued at about N18,000,000 were recovered from different suspects in the state.
Parading the suspect, the state Commissioner of Police, Dr Adebola Hamzat said that before killing Gbenle, the robbers dispossessed her of huge sums of money, mobile phones, big generating set, laptops, and many other valuable items, all of which were carted away in her Toyota Camry Car and a Toyota Corolla cars.
The killers who were paraded are Bello Olalekan, 30, Bisiriyu Olalekan, 32, Simeon Ojei, 38, and Femi Omisore, 43.
Recovered from them are one Toyota Camry car, one Toyota Corolla car, and a fireman generator.
The commissioner also paraded some armed robbers cum kidnappers. Among them are Mohammed Sanni, 30, Haruna Usman, 32, and Abubakar Muhammed, 30.
The trio attacked a man identified as Musa and his wife returning from the venue of JUMAT prayers in OTU town and dispossessed them of their mobile phones and money, after which they were whisked away to an unknown destination.
The suspects later contacted the victims’ relatives and demanded a ransom of N20 Million ransom with threats that the couple would be killed should their demands were not met.
The vigilante men, who combed the bush rescued them from where they were held hostage with one of the kidnappers apprehended and handed over to the police at OTU Division. The arrested kidnapper later assisted in the arrest of two other members of the criminal gang.
Adebola also intimated the press about another set of a kidnapping gang, who invaded the house of Alhaji Abdullahi in Oke-Ogun and after dispossessing him of his mobile phones and a huge sum of money, they whisked him and his son away to an unknown destination.
The armed robbers cum kidnappers identified as Ali Ibrahim, 20, Mohammed Ikun, 26, and Mohammed Tanbaya alias Chumo, later contacted the victims’ relatives and demanded a ransom of N10 Million, threatening to kill the two victims if the family members failed to pay the ransom within 48hrs.
“Fortunately, the incident was immediately reported at TEDE Division, and a team of Policemen and members of a local vigilance group were dispatched to comb the thick forest location where the abductees were held hostage. Thankfully the kidnappers were unsettled leading them to flee thus creating a window for the victims to escape and return to their village unscathed. The victims subsequently provided useful information about their abductors and three members of the criminal gang who were later arrested”, Adebola added.
The Commissioner also paraded some gangs of robbers, including those who robbed a husband and wife who were on their way to the hospital for the wife to deliver a baby. They were dispossessed of their Toyota Venza car and went away with two big bags containing new baby clothes and accessories at gunpoint.
Arrested in connection with the incident is Gbenga Sokunbi, from whom the stolen Toyota Venza, and two bags containing new baby clothes and accessories that were snatched at gunpoint on date were recovered.
The CP said, “Further Investigation revealed that the said Gbenga Sokunbi and his gang carried out various armed robbery operations between July 2023 to December 2023 within the Ibadan metropolis. After painstaking investigation the duo of Olusegun Adeleke and Segun Babatunde were arrested as principal members of the armed robbery syndicate terrorizing Ibadan and its environs, one locally made cut-to-size gun and 4 live cartridges were recovered from them. The following vehicle TOYOTA VENZA 2013 MODEL KRD335JE, LEXUS ES350 FJK956JE, LEXUS RX330 SMK169JH, TOYOTA HIGHLANDER BWR134GJ, TOYOTA HILUX APP435XM and FORD FOCUS KSF981SF snatched at gunpoint at different locations within Ibadan metropolis between the said months were recovered from them, at Lagos State, Ogun State and River State respectively.”
Members of the Highway Armed Robbery Syndicate and their receivers of their stolen goods arrested and paraded are Adekunle Joseph, 34, Quadri Jimoh, 30, Emmanuel Danjuma, 28, Musa Muhammed, 22, Jimoh Shaibu, 68, Akodu Femi, 48, Oladapo Olatide, 39, and Arisekola Badmus, 34.
According to the commissioner, the robbers robbed Akeem of his cell phones, money, and Sienna Space Bus with REG. NO. BDJ 153 ES.
Recovered from them are Nissan Rouge Jeep with Reg No. SMK 424 HV, Toyota Camry with Reg. No. EPE 720 JC, Nissan Micra Car,. Toyota Matrix Car with Reg. No. BDG 889 JB, and Toyota Camry Car.
Another group of robbers paraded are Joseph Nwoke, 47, Isaiah Omah, 26, Ngboke Sunday, 49, and Onu Sunday, 42. Recovered from them are Toyota Land Cruiser with Reg No. BEN 444 HT, KIA Optima car, and pump action riffle.
Umaru Salisu, who specialises in snatching expensive mobile phones’’ from unsuspecting members of the public was also paraded with 60 pieces of assorted mobile phones.
Afeez Lasisi, 35, who stole at gunpoint a SIENNA Space vehicle from its owner along the Ibadan / Lagos Expressway was arrested and paraded with the recovered SIENNA.
The Police Boss also paraded Mutaiaru Aliu, Wahab Ibrahim, Ayodele Olalekan, Ojo Sulaiman, and Taiwo Babatunde, who highjacked and diverted a DAF Truck loaded with 3,137 cartons of Tera Maggi, valued at N18 Million, were paraded with the vehicle and goods highjacked.
Abdulquadri Usman, 23, and Solomon Adedeji, 39, who specialize in stealing cars from the car park were also paraded. Recovered from them are Toyota Camry car with Reg. No. AKD 228 HT, and one master key.
Finally, the commissioner revealed that two ritualists, Salami Abdullahi, 30, and Adebisi Aliu, 35, were arrested for having human parts and paraded.
The Commissioner stated, “One Human Head cut off from a freshly exhumed Corpse and a local pot containing some concoctions were recovered from the possession of the suspected Ritualists. Upon interrogations, the suspects confessed to the crime and explained that the harvested Human Skull was from a corpse at a burial ground and was to be used for Money Rituals.”
