Nigeria Content Online

The Ondo State Police Command yesterday made a major
breakthrough in its quest to rid the state of criminals, as it paraded
over 52 suspected criminals arrested between July and August this year.
The suspects were arrested for offences ranging from armed robbery,
kidnapping and cultism.

Though most of the suspects denied the allegations
levelled against them, some admitted that they actually committed the
offences and pleaded for mercy.

While parading the suspects at the police
headquarters situated along Igbatoro Road, the state police
commissioner, Ballah Magaji Nasarawa, said the arrests were made in
over eight local government areas of the state. He added that the
suspects were arrested based on tip-offs from members of the public
during distress calls. He explained that 14 of the suspects were
apprehended with dangerous weapons during the recently concluded Ogun
festival in the ancient town of Ondo. “The suspects allegedly attacked
two innocent people who are currently receiving treatment in an
undisclosed hospital in Ondo town,” he said.

Mr Nasarawa added that the suspects will soon be charged to court for conduct likely to cause breach of public peace.

Kidnappers and robbers

Also paraded by the police were two natives of
Okitipupa, Daniel Sunday and Biyi Beke, who allegedly kidnapped a
10-year-old boy, Daniel Iyaomolere. The duo were said to have kidnapped
a boy from Lawanson area of Lagos and later moved the boy to Omotosho
area of Ondo State where they were apprehended by detectives. The
suspects said they were pushed to commit the offence by the situation
of things in the country.

Another gang of six robbery suspects, who have
allegedly been snatching cars at gun point in Akure and other parts of
the state, were also paraded. The police boss said they normally robbed
vehicles at gunpoint in Akure and drove the stolen vehicles to Lagos to
sell.

“Their modus operandi is that these robbers normally
rob a vehicle at gun point from Akure and ferry it to Lagos and sell
it. While in Lagos, they will rob another vehicle and bring it to Akure
and keep it at the state specialist hospital, Akure, collect a tag and
leave it there for safe keeping without the knowledge of the hospital
authority, while they scout for a buyer,” he said.

Mr Nasarawa also informed that four of the robbers
that raided banks in Akure and Ikare had been arrested in Effurun in
Delta State while four other members of the group were arrested in Ogun
State. He said police officers from the command identified the robbery
suspects through the CCTV footage retrieved from one of the banks
robbed in Akure.

Some of the weapons recovered from the robbers were:
one military multi purpose machine gun, two military rocket launchers,
five rockets launchers, dynamite, three strands of explosive cords and
115 magazines painted in military colours with 30 rounds of live
ammunition each.