*AK-47 recovered from suspects who allegedly burnt down police station
By John Odunjo
The Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Dare Ogundare, on Friday paraded 17 suspects for criminal offences including murder, kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery, arson and cultism.
The CP, represented by the Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State Commander, Sunday Abutu, during the parade, said efforts were ongoing to arrest other members of the various gangs who escaped arrest.
The commissioner, who enjoined citizens to be more security conscious, vigilant and report any untoward incident or happening observed in their locality to the nearest Police Station or call 08062335577, said that all the suspects would be taken to court for prosecution.
He said that the suspects included one Matthew Faponmole, who allegedly attempted “to kill one Ijadale Francis by seriously assaulting and inflicting high degree of injuries on him at Dove Filling Station, Aramoko-Ekiti.
The commissioner said that “investigation revealed that the suspect is an impersonator and a serial offender who had been arrested by the Command and charged to court for impersonating to be a military personnel”.
He said that the remaining 11 of the suspects, belonging to a criminal gang, were nabbed in Ikere Ekiti for conspiracy, armed robbery, cultism, attempted murder, murder, arson and kidnapping.
The commissioner said, “On September 15, 2023, at about 09:30hrs, based on a credible tip off that some suspected cultists, who usually rob innocent citizens of their valuables were planning another armed robbery attack from their hideout in Ikere-Ekiti, the Command’s Rapid Response Squad immediately mobilized to the scene and arrested them.
He listed the arrested suspects as Adewumi Gbenga, Samson Gideon, Ogundare Tobi, Adamolekun Lekan, Olanipekun Daniel, Daramola Tope, Mayowa Ojo, Alaba Ayobami, Aremo Olatunji Oladele, Adebayo Peter and Abiodun Bosede.
He said that upon investigation, it was discovered that the suspects partook in the attack and setting ablaze of Afao Divisional Police Headquarters, Ikere-Ekiti during the ENSARS protest in 2020 and carted away arms and valuables from the stations, adding that one of the AK-47 rifles was recovered from them.
The commissioner added, “Intensified efforts by the RRS operatives led to the arrest of three others – Ojo Alaba, Omotoso Sunday and Alabi Babatunde.
“It was revealed that the AK-47 rifle is part of the arms used to rob one Olasunkanmi Joseph of the cash sum of N3.5million at Irona Roundabout, Ado-Ekiti on 06/04/2023 where the victim was killed on the spot”.
He added that operatives of the command also on September 21, 2023 at about 12:30hrs, “acting upon a rip-off, swooped on a gang of suspected cultists in their criminal hideouts along Iworoko Road, Ado Ekiti. During the operation, one Lucky Favour and Lawal Oluwaseun were arrested while others took to their heels”.
