The police in Osun State have arrested five members of an armed robbery gang alleged to have robbed some residents of Adeeke in Iwo town, Iwo Local Government Area of Osun State.

Deputy Police Public Relations Officer in Osun, ASP Giwa-Alade Emmanuel, said this during a parade of some arrested suspects at the police headquarters in Osogbo on Wednesday.

Mr Emmanuel explained that suspected armed robbers attacked residents in Iwo on August 14 at about 9:30 p.m., dispossessing them of two mobile phones, N20,000, ATM cards and an army ID card.

He said that a military officer, whose father’s house was one of the residences robbed, challenged the three suspects during the robbery attack.

The police deputy spokesman said that the military officer overwhelmed the gang members causing them to take to their heels.

Mr Emmanuel, however, said that one of the gang members was unfortunate and apprehended.

Mr Emmanuel said that the suspect caught was later handed over to the police.

He said, “The robbers abandoned one black hero hunter motorcycle with Reg. No Osun WWD 604 QE, one locally made pistol and a magnet. Immediately the case was reported to the police, the CP’s monitoring unit detectives swung into action and the apprehended suspect’s confession revealed that he came from Abeokuta, Ogun State. The suspected added that he came to join the duo in Iwo for the operation, on the instruction of one Akube. The suspect revealed that his own role in any operation was to deliver any vehicle stolen to any intending buyer.’’

He explained further that police investigation revealed that the gang had a receiver in Akure, Ondo State, to whom stolen vehicles were delivered.

He said the police team moved to Ondo State and arrested the said receiver and recovered from him, one Ford Jeep with Reg. No. SMK 945 OS, which was stolen from Ibadan, Oyo State.

Mr Emmanuel said the two other accomplices in the robbery operation in Iwo were later arrested.

According to him, the information provided by the two arrested gang members led to the arrest and recovery of a pistol from their armourer in Ilorin, Kwara State.

He said that the arrested suspects would be charged to court after the completion of investigation.

The police spokesperson said that seven suspects arrested for being in possession and dealing in human parts had been charged to court.

He said that eight other suspects from Oyo State, allegedly terrorising Ogunajo and Paku villages in Iwo, Osun State, were also apprehended and charged to court.

Mr Emmanuel said further that three suspects, a male and two females, were also arrested and charged to court for canvassing marketers in Ikire to embrace and support the Yoruba Nation.

He said that the male suspect, 61, a native of Akure, Ondo State, urged traders in Obada Market, Ikire, Osun State to denounce their allegiance to Nigeria as a nation. 

(NAN)