Kazeem Badmus
A suspected armed robber, Lukman Adedokun, has said that he was not part of a gang who specialised in robbing Point of Sales (POS) operators in the State of Osun.
But Adedokun confessed that he is just an accomplice who helped in selling stolen phones.
Adedokun, alongside two other suspects, Gbenga Opeyemi and Ibukun Ajayi, were on Tuesday, paraded by the Nigeria Police Force, State of Osun command, for allegedly robbing POS operators in Ikirun.
Addressing newsmen at the Police headquarters in Osogbo, Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Yemisi Opalola, said some POS operators in Ikirun complained about the incessant robbery on them, in a petition to the commissioner of Police, Mr Wale Olokode.
She said the commissioner, upon receiving the petition, directed detectives to swung into action, adding that the suspects who perpetrated the act and receiver of the stolen items were arrested by the men of the force.
She said, “On 30th March, 2022 the complainants who are POS Operators within Ikirun area, reported through a petition, addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Osun State, that in the Month of March 2022, on different days, times and places, unknown gunmen trailed them from their various shops to their houses, using gun and other weapons and robbed them of their hard earned money, 30 new different phones and other valuables worth N5million.
“On the receipt of the information, the detective swung into action and through meticulous analysis of intelligence gathered, the suspects who perpetrated the act and receiver of the stolen items were arrested. The suspects will be charged to court as soon as the investigation is completed”.
However, Adedokun, while answering question from newsmen, said he is not a thief but only assisted those who stole the phones to sell them.
Adedokun who claimed to learn tilling said he was a pick-pocketer before he mend his ways.
He said he helped the suspected armed robbers to sell 14 phones for N15, 000.
Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER, one of the suspects, Ibukun Ajayi, said they trailed their victims to their houses and use cutlasses to scare them before robbing them of their valuables.
He said: “It is true that we robbed them and what we normally do is to trail them to their houses after they closed from shop and we use cutlass to scare them”.
Among other paraded suspects are Muideen Nafiu, Yusuf Muslim and Rabiu Fatai, who allegedly killed a widow, Aisat Yekeen and dismembered her corpse for ritual purposes in Ileogbo, Ayedire Local Government of the State.
Responding to questions from Journalists, the prime suspect in the crime, Nafiu, said his accomplice, Yusuf, killed and dismembered the deceased when they met in his room.
He, however, admitted collecting the hands of the woman, which his accomplice intended to use for him for money ritual.
Speaking on another breakthrough by the command, Opalola also said police officers have arrested one Abdullahi Abdulkareem for threatening to abduct a member of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adebayo Taiwo, and one Justice Oke.
According to her, the suspect sent text messages to the victims, demanding between N500,000 and N2m or they, alongside their family members, would be abducted.
“On the receipt of the information, a team of police detectives swung into action and through series of relentless efforts, the suspect was arrested with the phone used to perpetrate the act.
“He confessed to the commission of the crime and will be charged to court after the completion of the investigation,” Opalola concluded.
