By LAIDE RAHEEM, Abeokuta

Police in Ogun State have arrested members of a syndicate who specialised in luring, robbing and killing POS and Uber operators.

The suspects, Kehinde Saliu Jelili a.k.a as Oluomo, Abiodun Akinola, Johnson Fakeye and Jamiu Akinola, were all arrested following a report lodged at the Onipanu Police Divisional Headquarters, Ota, on April 18, 2021, by one Aanu Salaudeen, a POS attendant that her boss, Abiodun Odebunmi had left his office located at Aparadija Area of Ota the previous day, but failed to return.

She explained that Abiodun had been called on phone by a customer to come with a cash sum of N4m for POS transaction.

The POS attendant who told the police that efforts to reach her boss on phone yielded no positive result as his phone had been switched off, said the ‘customer’ had earlier carried out a transaction of N1.5m with Abiodun.

She added that it was the same person who called her boss to meet him at Ojuore in Ota, for another POS transaction of N4m.

“Upon the report, policemen at the Onipanu Division commenced investigation into the sudden disappearance of the man, their efforts paid off when the dead and burnt body of Abiodun was discovered inside an uncompleted building at Arobieye Area of Ota.

“The case was therefore transferred to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, and the Commissioner of Police in the state, Edward Awolowo Ajogun, mandated the homicide team to unravel the perpetrators of the dastardly act within the shortest possible period.

“The CSP Femi Olabode-led homicide team, in compliance with the CP’s directive, embarked on technical and intelligence based investigation, which led them to Otun Ekiti in Ekiti State where the suspect was discovered to be hibernating. On getting to Ekiti, the suspect got wind of the presence of the detectives and quickly escaped to Offa in Kwara State”. Abimbola Oyeyemi, the spokesperson of the Ogun State police command said in a statement.

According to Oyeyemi, the homicide team continued trailing the suspect and they later got information that he had crossed to the neighbouring Benin Republic, where he had gone to attend the court session of Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a Igboho.

“Having got the information about the day the suspect will be returning to Nigeria, the team laid ambush for him and got him arrested at the boundary between Ogun and Lagos State.

“On interrogation, Kehinde Salihu Jeili, who claimed to be a native of Apomu in Osun State confessed to killing the victim. He confessed further that he deliberately lured the victim to Ota where he and his gang members were waiting for him with the money he was asked to bring, having transacted a N1.5m naira business with him the previous day.

"He said they hacked the POS operator to death after collecting the sum of N4m from him. He stated further that they burnt the victim’s corpse in order to cover their tracks.

"He confessed further that his gang always targeted Uber and POS operators.

"According to him, one of them will pose as a passenger to the Uber driver, and will lure such driver to where his members would be waiting, and as soon as he gets to the place, the driver will be hacked to death and the car will be taken away to their receiver”. The PPRO added.

Also, the suspect confessed that he and his gang had attacked one Idowu Ademiluyi at Itori Area in Ewekoro Local Government Area and snatched his Toyota Corolla car, after inflicting lethal machete cuts on him.

The arrest of Salihu, however, led the detectives to the gang’s receiver, one Abiodun Akinola.

The confessional statements of both Saliu and Akinola led to the arrest of Johnson Fakeye and Akinola Jamiu at Atan-Ota and Owode-Yewa respectively, on August 14.

One Toyota Camry, a Toyota Corolla and one Toyota Rav 4, whose owners had been gruesomely murdered were recovered from the gang.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Ajogun, who was full of praises for the team for the painstaking investigation which lasted for almost three months, directed the team to ensure that the last member of the gang is arrested.

The CP, therefore, advised members of the public to always disclose their movement to at least one person, whenever they have cause to keep appointment with an unknown person.

Ajogun also directed that the suspects be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded. (Daily Trust)

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