Date: 2014-07-13

Kwara state police command has paraded 14 suspected criminals arrested for various crimes, including criminal conspiracy, theft of telecommunication cables, abduction, cultism and armed robbery.

Parading the suspects at the command’s headquarters, Ilorin during the week, the state police commissioner, Ambrose Aisabor, said the telecom cable vandals, who  invaded expressway along Malu Road community in Offa, Offa Local government area of the state on Wednesday at about 2 am, came from Lagos state to commit the crime.

The police boss said the command’s surveillance team in conjunction with a team of vigilance team led by one Ganiyu Oladipo, while on an intelligence patrol, caught the suspects in the act of stealing the cable worth N2 million.

He also said that the suspects had confessed to the crime, adding that they committed the act in collaboration with a fake police officer, named Michael, “who co-ordinated the stealing and collection of returns from the suspects”.

Aisabor, who said that the suspects had revealed that they started the criminal act several months ago, added that they would soon be charged to court at the end of investigations.

Interview with the suspects also revealed that they were hired by a man, now at large, adding that they were artisans in Lagos state.

Also paraded were three suspected commercial motorcycle snatchers, who allegedly snatched a Bajaj motorcycle from one okada operator, Wahab Isah, aged 16 years.

“The okada operator was hired by two of the suspects who claimed to have a brother in a hospital around Ita-Alamu. Along the line, the suspects brought out a gun, tied the victim and made away with the motorcycle. They, however, ran into the team of eagle-eyed policemen who arrested the two suspects. Investigations also led to the arrest of the suspect that earlier escaped. They were caught with a cut to size local barrel gun, one live cartridge and one red Bajaj motorcycle and they will soon appear in court”, he said.

The police command also paraded seven suspected kidnappers, who included two students of Federal Polytechnic, Offa.

“On July 6, 2014, one Mrs. Bosede Owoeye of No. 43 Ondo Road, Akure, reported at the Malu Road vigilante office, Offa that her daughter by name Temilayo Owoeye, 23 years, was missing since July 2, 2014 and she strongly suspects one Anthony and Tunde both male of unknown address. The two suspects were arrested by the vigilante men. The arrested suspects mobilize d their EYE cult members who came to unleash terror on the vigilante office. On receipt of the report, the command’s anti-cult detectives swung into action and six cultists who were suspected to have carried out the abduction were arrested with different dangerous weapons and charms. Suspects will be charged to court at the end of investigation”, he said.