'Unlawfully arrested' Police smash seven-man robbery syndicate in Ogun

The Ogun State Police Command has smashed seven members of a syndicate who specialised in hijacking trucks loaded with companies’ goods along Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode Expressway.

Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the arrest to journalists on Tuesday in Abeokuta via a press statement.

He said the suspects were nabbed following a distress call received at Odogbolu Divisional Headquarters on December 8 that a gang of armed robbers had blocked the expressway and hijacked a truck loaded with blue band products of Unilever Nigeria ltd.

“The robbers overpowered the driver and motor-boy, took them to the bush and tied them down there before taking away the truck,” he said.

The police spokesman said the Divisional Police Officer of Odogbolu Division, Awoniyi Adekunle, quickly led his patrol team to the scene, but the hoodlums had moved away from there before their arrival.

“They started tracing the hoodlums based on the description of the hijacked truck. Their efforts paid off when the truck was sighted at Nairaland area of the expressway moving towards Ijebu-Ode road,” he added.

According to him, the suspects were given a hot chase and three amongst them were apprehended with others escaping with their vehicle.

While listing the suspects as Musa Ibrahim, Shola Abolade and Edwin Ayeye, the police spokesman stated that some of the escaped members of the syndicate contacted a lawyer and informed him that police had unlawfully arrested some of their friends.

He said, “They engaged the service of the lawyer to solicit for their release from police custody. On getting to the office of the Divisional Police Officer, the lawyer was asked to produce those who briefed him about the case before those in police custody can be released.

“The lawyer there and then called them to come as the case is about to be settled. The duo of Nwafor Onyebuchi and Idakole Benjamin who was later identified as dismissed police sergeant then came around and they were subsequently arrested by the police.”

The suspects were said to have confessed to being the one that blocked the expressway and hijacked the blue band-loaded truck from the driver after tying down the driver and his motor boy.

Reacting to the arrest, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Lanre Bankole, ordered the transfer of the suspects to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for discreet investigation.

He equally commended police operatives for their painstaking investigation, directing that the suspects must be arraigned in court without delay.