Three suspected armed robbers who have been attacking residents of Malete, a University town in Kwara State, were on Friday, October 7, 2022, arrested by operatives in the state police command.
The arrest was confirmed by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Okasanmi Ajayi on Sunday, October 9.
The suspects were identified as Ridwan Abdulfatai, aged 20, Ibrahim Ridwan Akorede, 25, – both from Oke Fomo area in Ilorin – and Aliyu Abubakar Apalado, 25.
Okasanmi said that the arrest followed to reports of armed robbery by three female students (names withheld) of Kwara State University, Malete, all in their fourth year.
They told the police that the armed robbers invaded their hostel called Downtown at about 3:30am on Friday, October 7, and forcefully dispossessed them of their property.
The report, the PPRO said, made the police operatives to go in search of them, and as they approached suspects’ hideout, they took to their heels when they sighted the police team, but Abdulfatai was nabbed.
“Consequently, the suspect, under intense interrogation, confessed he is the leader of a robbery gang terrorizing the Malete community and its environs, stating also that he is also a jail bird,” the police spokesman disclosed.
He added that Abdulfatai led the investigators to two other members of the gang, Ibrahim and Aliyu, and that tthey both admitted committing the crime.
Recovered were a locally-made gun, a jack knife, 11 generators, two motorcycles, 10 laptops, two television sets and charms.
Others were a refrigerator, a standing fan, a pumping machine, 19 iPhone 6 handsets, three iPhone11 handsets, 16 iPhone 6 Plus, five iPhone XR and other brands of telephone handsets totalling 87.
SP Okasanmi said that before the latest attack, a complaint had been lodged at Malete Divisional Police headquarters from attacked students and the community residents, which made the Commissioner of Police, Paul Odama to reiterate his earlier determination of not allowing any form of that lawlessness in the state.
This made the police commissioner to set up a crack team of detectives comprising anti-cultists, anti-kidnapping, anti-robbery and personnel of Malete Division, with the mandate to break the suspects’ foothold and bring the culprits to justice.
The PPRO stated further that efforts were being made towards arresting the remaining members of the gang.
CP Odama, who promised to charge the suspects to court after conclusion of investigation, also warned criminal elements in the state to either relocate or be relocated to prisons.
According to the CP, no stone would be left unturned in ensuring that Kwara State, a state of harmony remains so.
