By Desire Emmanuel
Ten members of a robbery syndicate who specialised in hijacking containers at gunpoint and diverting valuable goods have been arrested inside a hotel in Ibadan, Oyo State, while stolen goods said to be worth over N100 million were recovered from them.
The state police command announced the arrested in a statement on Sunday, March 29, saying the ten person, including four ladies, were picked up inside Genesis Hotel in the Challenge area of Ibadan.
The command gave their names as Mukaila Omorayo (aged 48 years), Adekanbi Adesola (aged 39 years), Ahmed Oderinlo (aged 38 years), Samuel Omoseyin (aged 53 years), Ramon Saheed (aged 52 years).
Others were Monilola Ajayi (aged 58 years), Bisi Akanbi (aged 51 years), Wasilat Abdullahi (aged 48 years), Bolaji Tanimola (aged 51 years) and Adeola Oyesina (aged 51 years).
It was gathered that operatives of the command, acting on credible intelligence, laid surveillance for weeks before successfully apprehending the syndicate who used to hijack containers at gunpoint and diverting valuable goods across states, especially in the South-West.
The command said during their arrest, a substantial number of stolen goods was recovered from them including 40 units of air conditioners, 10 washing machines, one electric motorcycle, assorted creams, seven cutting machines.
Other items recovered were 15 packs of LED lights, 25 packs of furniture gum, numerous trailer spare parts, hair relaxers, wigs as well as furniture and painters’ materials, all estimated at over N100 million.
“The suspects have confessed to their various involvement in the crime and are currently cooperating with the investigation. Their confessions are aiding ongoing efforts to apprehend other members of the syndicate still at large,” the command said in the statement.
The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for more investigation and they are expected to be charged to court at the conclusion of the investigation.
The command added that the management of the hotel has been invited for questioning as part of the ongoing investigation.
