We formed robbery gang after SARS was disbanded - Suspects confess in Ekiti

 

The Ekiti State Police Command has said that its officers and men will continue to be relentless in their efforts to go after all criminal elements in the state and bring them to face the law.

The state Police Commissioner, Tunde Mobayo, gave the assurance at the Command’s Headquarters in Ado-Ekiti during the parade of 13 suspects involved in various criminal offences in the state.

Mobayo, who was represented by the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, said the suspects were arrested for alleged conspiracy, armed robbery, rape, murder and unlawful possession of firearms.

According to the PPRO, the suspects confessed to the crimes, saying they formed the gang and started robbing with arms immediately after the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery, SARS, in October 2020.

Abutu said, “The suspects confessed that they robbed innocent citizens of Ekiti State in about 96 houses within Ado-Ekiti and its environs such as Embassy Inland, Ajebamidele, Niran students hostel along Poly Road, where they raped two female students in 2021. Other places include, Agogo community in Ilupeju Avenue, where they killed one Joseph Blessing, a night guard and Ilawe-Ekiti. They also confessed to have killed one Apata Olabode, a POS operator in December 2021 in the same area.
‘The suspects also raped a lady at Ajebamidele, Ado-Ekiti in January 2022. They also attacked residents of Irewolede Estate along Ilawe road as well as Oke Ureje quarters, Ado-Ekiti in January 2022.”

Abutu said one Joke Oladunjoye, a concubine of one of the suspects, Aderopo Tope, popularly known as Tope Pupa, was also arrested following investigation that she keeps her lover’s gun before and after any operation.

He remarked further that all the arrested suspects are ex-convicts who had served different jail terms in the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State and Olokuta Correctional Centre, Akure, Ondo State.

The PRO hoped that other members of the gang who are at large will soon be arrested.

The command had last Monday paraded about one hundred suspects for different criminal offences.