Chiemelie Ezeobi
Operatives of Operation Crush of the Lagos State Police Command, weekend arrested six suspected Aiye Confraternity members, allegedly responsible for the series of violent attacks, armed robbery and murder in Bariga and environs.
The suspects were identified as 28-year-old Fatai Nofui, aka Itape; 23-year-old Qudus Kazeem “aka” Bobo; 23-year-old Muiyis Saraki, alias Bosingwa; 27-year-old Lucky Sunday; 29-year-old David Okpa, alias ‘na god’; and 24-year-old Taye Balogun, alias Gbalagbala.
While Nofui and Kazeem were arrested first by the operatives, the other four were picked up simultaneously with help of the information derived from the former during interrogation.
Confirming the arrests, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana, said the suspects were rounded up at Ebute Bariga following sustained monitoring.
He said: “They are members of Aiye Confraternity with allegiance to one Mohammed alias “Obama” as their leader in Bariga. The gang is responsible for series of violent attacks, armed robbery and murder in Bariga and environs.
“In fact, they have been on the police wanted list for the murder of one “ Fashola” on November 3, 2019 at Pedro area.
“Exhibits recovered from them include an axe, a HTC phone, one Nokia, and one Itel phone they snatched from one Amusa Bukola at Bariga.
“Further investigation led to the arrest of four other members of the gang. Meanwhile, investigation is ongoing and the suspects will be charged to court the end of it.”
In another development, the Surulere Police Division arrested one Babatunde Damilare for killing a commercial sex worker as they were haggling for payment after the sexual intercourse. The suspect was said to have killed the sex worker, simply identified as Elochukwu, at Edo Inn Hotel, 17 Atan Street, Empire, Surulere.
Confirming the incident, Elkana said during the scuffle, the suspect picked a knife and stabbed the deceased severally on her neck which led to her death on the spot.
He said the suspect was arrested by the Homicide detectives led by the Divisional Police Officer Surulere, CSP Adebayo Adeoya and the corpse of the deceased person evacuated and deposited at Mainland Hospital Morgue in Yaba for autopsy.
Also, the Bariga Police Division arrested a 35-year-old-man, one Bunmi Adeyemi, for sexually defiling a five-year-old girl (name withheld).
The police spokesman said the suspect was arrested by a team of detectives from the Family Support Unit where he confessed to the crime.
He added that the victim was taken to Mirabel Centre Ikeja for medical treatment and forensic examination, while the command’s Gender Unit has taken over the investigation.
