The police in Oyo State have arrested three suspected rapists and armed robbers, who allegedly raped a young lady and dispossessed her of her belongings in Ibadan.

They also nabbed 16 other suspects for alleged offences ranging from cultism, murder, armed robbery, and burglary.

Police spokesman in Oyo State, Adewale Osifeso, said the suspected armed robbers and rapists accosted the lady who went to visit her friend on January 4 at a desolate spot in the Alakia area of Ibadan.

He said suspects who claimed to be community vigilantes dispossessed the lady of her mobile phone and whisked her to another desolate spot where she was held till about 1:25 a.m. on January 5.

“The three ‘vigilantes’ took turns in having unlawful carnal knowledge of the young lady and forced her to transfer money into a bank account before she was abandoned to her fate at the scene.

“The incident was reported at the Alakia-Adelubi divisional headquarters of the police and was transferred to the Command’s Monitoring Unit for investigation.

“The three armed robbers-cum-rapists were arrested in their respective hideouts in connection with the crime,’’ Mr Osifeso said.

He added that they confessed to the crime upon interrogation and a Dane gun, which they used in the criminal act and the mobile phone belonging to the victim were recovered from them.

Also, the police arrested an armed robber and murderer who attacked the Orolade family compound in Alakia, Ibadan and dispossessed the dwellers of their cell phones, a huge sum of money and some other valuable items at gunpoint.

Mr Osifeso said the suspect allegedly murdered the head of the family before fleeing from the scene of crime.

“As soon as the police received a distress call, operatives were dispatched to hunt down the perpetrator of the dastard criminal activity.

“The kingpin of the armed robbery syndicate was arrested in his hideout,’’ he said.

Mr Osifeso said exhibits recovered from the suspect were one English-made double barrel pistol, eight live cartridges, one mortar and a piece of plank.

He said the suspect also confessed to the crime and series of similar criminal activities he had masterminded with his fleeing syndicate members in different parts of Ibadan and Oyo State.

(NAN)