Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti
The Ekiti State Police Command has nabbed a 33-year-old man, Akindele Olufemi, for allegedly stealing the sum of N620,115 belonging to a church offering in Osun State.
The Command also paraded three for alleged fake kidnapping and for trying to collect the sum of N5 million ransom under false pretence, with 16 other suspects arrested for various crimes bordering on kidnapping, stealing, burglary, cattle rustling and robbery in Ekiti State.
Parading the suspects at the Police Rapid Response Squad’s office in Ado Ekiti yesterday, the Command’s spokesman, DSP Sunday Abutu, said Olufemi was arrested by the police at Igbara Odo Ekiti after perpetrating the act at the Christ Apostolic Church’s campground at Ikeji Arakeji in Osun State.
Abutu said: “On September 16, 2022, at about 4:30a.m., the Police Command operatives, while on stop-and-search operation on Igbara-Odo-Akure road intercepted one Akindele Olufemi, and was found with a school bag loaded with different denominations of naira notes.
“During interrogation, the suspect confessed that he travelled all the way from Iropara-Ekiti to Christ Apostolic Church campground at Ikeji, Arakeji in Osun State to steal the cash sum of N620,115 from the church’s offering vault.
“The suspect further revealed that he was employed as a security guard of the church some time ago before he voluntarily resigned.”
Also, Abutu paraded Sunday Abah, Adejoh Friday and Simeon Ojodomo for allegedly faking kidnapping after receiving a complaint from one Omoniyi Taiwo of Kajola Street, Ikere-Ekiti on September 3, 2022, around 4p.m. about alleged kidnap of Ameh Sunday, who was working in his site at Ikere-Ekiti.
The PPRO revealed that the complainant recounted that the kidnappers were demanding the sum of N5 million ransom from him.
“Upon the receipt of the information, a team of the RRS operatives swung into action and arrested the purported victim in his hideout at Ikere-Ekiti on September 16, 2022,” he said.
In the same vein, Abutu paraded one Usman Mohammed over alleged involvement in various kidnapping operations in the state, and had confessed that his gang members kidnapped one Omoboade Adesina in her farm at Ago Aduloju/Aso Ayegunle road in Ado-Ekiti on April 22, 2022.
The spokesman also paraded one Oke Timilehin, a member of a notorious cult group, after the police operatives raided llupeju Avenue area of Ado Ekiti for allegedly shooting dead one Babatunde Bunmi
“On sighting the police operatives, the hoodlum fled the scene while the victim was rescued and rushed to the hospital for medical attention. Investigation led to the arrest of one Oke Timilehin, who confessed that he was a member of Black Axe secret cult alongside other fleeing suspects,” he said.
The Police Command also paraded Adebisi Emmanuel, Fabunmi Okikiola, Azees Dada, Oro-Okowo Idowu, Oguntola Tolulope, Adedeji Awe, Katzing Gideon, Babale Timothy, Macom Andrew, Ariso Soknan, Sunday Katdul, Moses Kurnap, John Nanfa and Sunday Babale, Isia Ibrahim, for alleged cattle rustling, stealing, burglary and robbery.
