The police command in Oyo State has taken two suspects who specialise in forcefully seizing motorcycles from their owners into custody.

The suspects, in a video obtained by the People Gazette, confessed that they have operated in areas including Ojoo and Iwo Road, within the Ibadan metropolis.

The Gazette gathered that the assailants were apprehended and are under the investigation radar of the Violent Crime Response Unit of the state’s police command.

One of the suspects said the police recovered over N34 million from their account, which he claimed his personal share could be only N200,000.

The suspect said, “We operate in Ibadan. We could go to Ojoo to operate. We could go to the Iwo Road axis to operate there. I have not seen anyone who died through our operation. But they said one person died as a result of our operation.”

“Yes, they found more than N34 million in our account. There is a Yoruba proverb that says money not worked for is not spent judiciously.”

“I can’t say what I use the money for. That is because my share could eventually be N200,000. I spend it on different expenses. At most, in about two days, the money is often exhausted,” he said.

The second suspect, who identified himself as Aliu Olopade, narrated that he met his suspected partner-in-crime last December and had joined him to perpetrate several motorcycle robberies.

“I am Aliu Olopade. The act of stealing motorcycles brought me to this point. We started this operation last December,” Mr Olopade said.

“That was the same time I met my other partner. We usually undertake our operations at night and call any destination that is less populated,” he said.

Narrating how they often carry out the alleged operation l, Mr Olopade said he and his partner would stop a motorcycle, mention a less-populated destination to the bike rider and drive away the motorcycle after hitting the unsuspecting rider with a pestle.

“My partner-in-crime and I would stop a bike and call a location for the rider. When the rider takes us to the place, I would do as if I was trying to pay the rider, while my partner would hit the unaware rider with a pestle,” Mr Olopade stated.

He added, “We usually undertake our operations at night and call any destination that is less populated. When we get to such locations, I act as if I want to pay, while my partner would stylishly remove the pestle from the sack and hit the rider with it. The riders are often unaware that we had a pestle in the sack.”

The 36-year-old suspect said the stolen motorcycles were sold to buyers at different prices.

“We sell some of these bikes at different rates, such as N600,000, N500,000, N400,000 and N450,000,” the suspect said.

“I was at home one night when the police barged into my house. I am about 36 years old,” he said.

Contacted for comments, the Oyo state police command spokesperson, Ayanlade Olayinka told The Gazette that police nvestigation revealed that the suspects had stolen about 86 motorcycles.

“Additional information and investigation led to the discovery that 86 motorcycles had been stolen by them,” the police spokesman said.