As a significant breakthrough in the fight against crime and criminality, the Oyo State Police Command has paraded 41 suspected criminals involved in various criminal acts including murder, armed robbery, gun running, rape, and car snatching.
The Oyo state police disclosed that the operation, which led to the arrest of these suspects, also resulted in the recovery of substantial assets including the sum of ₦16 million cash, exotic cars, different type of firearms and ammunition, motorcycles, human part already converted to ritual item, mobile phones, and other items.
Addressing newsmen during the parade held at the Oyo state Police Command, Eleyele, Ibadan, on Friday July 19, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Sonubi Ayodele disclosed that on July 7 at about 0800hrs, a suspected murder case was reported to Eleyele Police station that at about 0600hrs of same date, a lifeless body of an unidentified woman lying in the pool of her blood was found at No 48, Ore-ofe community area of Ologuneru under Ido Local Local Government.
According to the Police Commissioner, the complainant reported further that at about 0800hrs of same date, they saw the suspect, 35 year old Bolarinwa Segilogbon, covering the blood of the deceased with sand adding that the suspect was however, swiftly apprehended upon timely information and upon its investigation.
CP Sonubi stated that the suspect, Segilogbon (male), has also voluntarily confessed to the killing of his victim, Amdalat Afeez, a 34 year old online ‘ponmo’ (hides) vendor who is now deceased, Amdalat.
“The suspect confessed to have met her online demanding a meeting in order to connect her with people interested in making bulk purchase but instead in a rather disturbing twist of events, he (the suspect) violently took her life when they eventually met. Suspect will be charged to court.” CP Sonubi said.
While fielding questions from journalists, the murder suspect, Bolarinwa Segilogbon confessed to the crime saying: “So, I invited her to a construction site that I’m monitoring because I had told her someone wanted to buy ponmo, after her arrival in the evening, she asked me about the people who wanted to buy ponmo and I told her it wasn’t because of the ponmo I invited her that it was because of the money she agreed to borrow me.
“She later got upset after feeling disappointed and from there we started arguing, I afterward hit her with a plank. After the incident happened, I didn’t even plan it but I felt she already knew my house and she may report to the police, that’s why I killed her.”
In another similar development, another murder suspect paraded, the Oyo state police commissioner stated that “On 04/07/2024 at about 2105hrs, one Haruna Anifat (female) reported at above mentioned station that on same day at about 1950hrs while she was going to lgbogbo Village via Iroko Akinyele in company of her husband, one Yisa Mohammed (male) aged 35 years.
“On getting to under the bridge at the said Iroko Village, the two suspects namely Olausnkanmi Oluwaseyi (male) age 27 years and 25 years old Lekan Taiwo (male) emerged from where they were hiding and attacked both of them with cutlasses, which resulted to the death of the said Yisa Mohammed while she managed to escape from the scene.
“The suspects were subsequently arrested, and they confessed to the crime. The suspects claimed that the deceased was owing them the sum of Five Thousand, Five Hundred Naira (N5,500.00) for their workmanship as a labourer in his farm and the deceased refused to pay them. They were also linked to a crime committed on 06/07/2024 at about 1300hrs, where one Odediran (male) reported at Moniya Divisional Police Headquarters about the murder of his mother, Nike Odediran, now deceased was found dead under a mysterious and disturbing circumstances in a bush around Iroko village axis, Moniya area of Akinyele local government, Ibadan.”
The state Police commissioner also disclosed that the suspect, while confessing to the crime named one Jimoh Oke now at large, as the one who contracted them to source for human head with a promise of ₦50,000 (fifty thousand naira) reward, which eventually made them (suspect) behead the 60yr old woman and dumped her headless body inside the bush at the said Iroko village.
The suspect, while speaking to newsmen admitted to committing the crime but sought forgiveness from government and concerned authorities.
While commending the gallantry displayed by men and officers of the state Command as well as other sister security agencies and stakeholders, CP Sonubi said: “The past few weeks have indeed been busy for us at the Command, especially with the need to immediately evaluate and redesign our current security architecture to enable us cater comprehensively to both evolving and emerging security concerns.
“So also, in a bid to sustain the present tempo of relative tranquility, strategic meetings have been held with key security stakeholders of the Command inclusive of civil liberties organization, market forces, student groups, trado-religious institutions and the Police Community Relations Committee about the best course for the actualization of a safer and more peaceful Oyo State.
“Today, we are glad to give account of our stewardship as we have arrested (41) Male suspects for committing various crimes and offences including; Ritual Killing, Kidnapping, Armed Robbery and Murders. Also recovered are; Exotic vehicles, (2) Two Ak-47 rifles, (1,346) one thousand, three hundred and forty-six thousand pieces of 7.62 live rounds of ammunition and (#16,000,000) Sixteen million naira only amongst other recoveries.”
The police boss in the state called on the public to always provide useful and timely information to enable the agency act promptly while assuring that there would be no hiding place for criminal elements in the state.