Ogun State Police Command, yesterday, paraded officers, cultists, armed robbery and murder suspects arrested for various criminal offences in January 2024.
The command said it encountered three major security issues in 2023, which included the gruesome murder of Taiwo Oyekanmi, who was the Director of Finance and Administration, Bureau of Political Affairs at the Governor’s Office. It said investigation on the matter is at an advanced stage.
Others were armed robbery and sexual assault of students of Tai Solarin University of Education (of which the suspects have been arrested) and cult related murder in Sagamu.
Spokesperson for the command, SP Omolola Odutola, who paraded the suspects on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, lamented the increase in cases of gender-based violence in 2023.
Odutola stressed that the state’s Commissioner for Women Affairs, Adijat Adeleye, has worked diligently to address the cases, while those treated by the Police Anti-Human Trafficking Section have been charged to court.
The suspects paraded included: Juwon Banjo, who was arrested for murder on January 2, at Majago Street, Isara Remo, Ogun State.
One of his younger brothers, Sunday Adisa, now deceased, was trying to chastise his younger sister, Taiwo, for staying out late at night. In the process, an argument ensued with one Joshua Adeoye, which was resolved amicably. Despite the resolution, Adeoye, thereafter, mobilised his brothers, Dare and Babatunde, and attacked Adisa. As the fight ensued, Adisa fell down. He was immediately rushed to Isara State Hospital, where he was confirmed dead.
Also, on January 3, at about 4:34 p.m. in the Ijebu-Imushin area, Adubi Timothy, Jonathan Godfrey, and Idowu Olatunde, were apprehended by a surveillance team, led by Inspector Ogunleye Bankole, during a stop-and-search operation.
The suspects reportedly robbed one Dele Ayelabola of various items, including a Tecno Pop 7 and an iPhone 11 Pro Max. A cut-to-size double-barreled gun was recovered from the house of the suspects. The suspects confessed to the crime.
On January 12, one Kashimawo Emmanuel of Tasued Ijebu-Ode reported at a police station, saying while he was driving his brown Toyota Venza, No. LSD 813 EX, he came across four armed men, one of who wore a police round-necked camouflage. They demanded his phone. He declined but eventually complied after one of the men fired into the air.
They got into the car and drove him towards Sagamu expressway. At Ososa, they made a U-turn to Ijebu-Ode, where a sum of N312,000 was forcibly transferred from his account to an Opay account No. 9097829766.
Upon receipt of the report, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) put a call to the Opay account number, which turned out to be that of a Point of Sale (PoS) operator in Ijebu-Ode. The DPO instructed the operator to tactically delay anyone who comes to withdraw the money, until he arrives. At the PoS shop in Ibadan garage, one Cpl Idowu Sunday (Force No. 513707) was seen waiting to cash the money and was promptly arrested. Also arrested were: Inspector Taiwo Kolawole (AP/No. 341113) and Inspector John Ogbe (AP/No. 309292) both attached to Ijebu-Ife division, and one civilian, Adesiyan Mathew.
Also, one Olanrewaju Bashiru, a member of the Eiye confraternity, was arrested on January 14, 2024, at about 5:55 p.m., after a fight broke out at a party. A cut-to-size locally fabricated pistol was recovered from him.
In another case, 30-year-old Adeyemi Adebayo, a student of POGIL College of Health Technology, Oke-Erin, was arrested on January 16, after he conspired with his 29-year-old friend, Michael, to murder his 20-year-old girlfriend, Mercy Ese, and dump her body in a bush.
