Ondo police chased criminal gang to Ilesha, recover stolen generator engines: Official
Detectives from the Ondo State Police Command have nabbed a three-man syndicate that specialised in stealing lister power generating engines.
The gang was chased to Ilesha, in Osun state, where they were apprehended.
They were paraded before journalists in Akure, the Ondo state capital, on Tuesday, after they stole two different lister engines.
Babajide Moses, their ring-leader, who confessed to the crime, told reporters that he and his members had been operating at a different location in the state capital.
Mr Moses disclosed that the gang always locate where lister engines are being used during the day and would come back at night and lose it before carting them away.
He explained that he always engages some northerners, whom he described as “malams”, to help him carry the engines from the point of their operation to the bus stop.
“It is from there that we would look for a vehicle to charter and take them down to Owode Onirin, in Kosofe local government area of Lagos state,” he added.
Speaking shortly after parading the culprits, spokesperson for the Command, Funmilayo Odunlami, said the leader of the gang was arrested by the police in Ilesha while on transit to Lagos with the two stolen lister engines.
Ms Odunlami explained that the culprit with members of his criminal gang stole the two engines from the resident of FUTA North Gate area of Akure.
She added that the owners of the lister engines contacted the police on Monday night, and lodged complaints that their generators had been stolen, hence detectives swung into action.
“A Domino Lister engine was stolen in one location at FUTA North Gate and another VC Morgan Lister engine was stolen on the same axis.
“So, investigations led to the arrest of the culprits when police chased them to Ilesha where they were nabbed along Akure/Ilesha Expressway,” Ms Odunlami said.
The police spokesperson added that the culprits would soon be arraigned in court.
A member of the gang, Bolaji Awolowo, who claimed to be a driver of an 18-seater Mazda bus, said he never knew the engines were stolen.
He said that his service was engaged at the dead of the night, to carry the engines from different points at FUTA North Gate and to the garage where he operates.
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette
Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”
Education
Argentines protest budget cuts to public universities
The protestors are being joined by professors and students with their union leaders.
Sport
EPL: Everton hand Liverpool major upset in title race; Bruno Fernandes’ brace helps Man United return to winning ways
If City win the two games, they will go top of the table.
Heading 3
FRSC collaborates with judiciary for speedy trial of drivers involved in road crashes
“All drivers and vehicle owners who caused crashes on the roads would definitely face the wrath of the law.”
Africa
Tanzania shuts down five hydro stations to reduce excess power on national grid
This is the first time the country will be shutting its hydroelectric stations over excess production.
Abuja
Fuel Scarcity: Motorists lament as long queues resurface in FCT
They appealed to the federal government to resolve whatever the issues were.