An 18-year-old ex-convict Abdullahi Idowu and his 17-year-old accomplice Samson Ojo, have been arrested for allegedly stealing the engine parts of an office generator belonging to the Nigeria Customs Service in Idiroko, Ipokia Local Government Area.

Commander of the State Community, Social Orientation and Safety Corps, otherwise known as So-Safe Corps, Soji Ganzallo, disclosed this in a statement through the Director of Information and Public Relations, Assistant Commander Moruf Yusuf, on Tuesday.

The statement disclosed that, “Abdullahi Idowu, 18, a resident of Babaloke area, Idiroko, and Samson Ojo, 17, residing at Etikoto, Ikolaje area, Idiroko—were apprehended around 10:30 p.m. on November 17, 2024. Both locations fall under the Ipokia Local Government Area. The suspects were caught during a joint routine patrol by the Special Squad and the Idiroko Divisional Team of the Corps, led by Chief Superintendent Abdulkareem Abdulrazaq. Upon their arrest, they were found with two bags containing stolen generator engine parts.”

According to the statement, Mr Idowu who had already served a jail term in Benin Republic, confessed that he also previously stole a large battery which he sold to a scrap dealer.

Mr Ganzallo also disclosed that the suspects were taken to the scene of the crime, where the theft of the generator parts belonging to the customs office was confirmed, while other parts of the generator were found in a nearby bush.

In the statement, Mr Ganzallo noted that both suspects and the items recovered from them had been handed over to the Ogun Area 1 Command of the NCS in Idiroko.