The Ogun State Police Command said its operatives have apprehended the fleeing members of a seven-man kidnapping gang who robbed, killed their victims and buried their bodies in shallow graves after collecting ransom from their families.
The State Commissioner of Police, CP Abiodun Alamutu, made this known while revealing the breakthrough of the Command.
Alamutu recalled that on the 29th of July, 2024, the Command paraded two confessed kidnappers, Ckukwuma Bartholomew and Igwe Monday, who led operatives of the Command to a forest in Ijebu-Igbo where the remains of their victims were buried in a shallow grave.
He said, “During the briefing, I did say that it was a 7 man gang and that the other 5 members of the gang are on the run. I am indeed excited to announce to you that they have all been arrested and have all made confessional statements.
“The sophistication and pattern of their modus-operandi will be clearly highlighted for a better understanding of the sequences of their year-long reign of terror in Ijebu-Igbo axis of the State.”
Alamutu continued: “On 28th July, 2023 at about 0100hrs, at Ojowo area of Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State, four armed men invaded the house of one Raheem Azeez ‘m’ and robbed him and his wife one Raheem Afolashade ‘f’ of their valuables.
“The armed men later went to another house belonging to one Oluwaseun Oworu Samuel ‘m’ and shot him with a gun through the window before they had access to his house, and robbed him of his POS Machine, Recharge Cards, Cash and other valuables.
“The armed robbers left the victim in his pool of blood. Oluwaseun Oworu Samuel ‘m’ was later taken to Babcock University Hospital for medical attention but he died on 4th August, 2023 at the hospital. His corpse was deposited at the morgue for autopsy.
“On 2nd October, 2023 at about 0130hrs at Egbe area, Oke Super, Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State, the same gang stormed the house of Adegbenga Adeniran ‘m’ and kidnapped his daughter one Elizabeth Adeniran ‘f’ age 17yrs to an unknown destination.
“The kidnappers later collected the sum of Three Million One, Hundred Thousand Naira as ransom through the Moniepoint Account belonging to late Oluwaseun Oworu Samuel ‘m’ that was shot earlier at his residence.
“The kidnappers refused to release the victim after the payment of ransom. They eventually killed her and dropped her corpse into a well at Oke-Agbo, Ijebu-Igbo.
“On 11th November, 2023 at about 2210 hrs, the same armed gang invaded the house of the Traditional ruler of Aparaki Ijebu, one Professor Julius Niyi Benedict ‘m’ and robbed him and his wife one Abigael Olubunmi ‘f’ of their phones, and other valuables.
“They shot at the traditional ruler and kidnapped his wife to an unknown destination. They transferred the sum of Fifteen thousand and fifty naira from the account of the kidnapped victim to the Moniepoint account of late Oluwaseun Oworu.
“The kidnappers later tied down the victim, and abandoned her inside the forest. The kidnapped victim later escaped unhurt and reunited with her family.
“On 23rd November, 2023 at about 2130hrs, behind Abusi Edumare Academy School, Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State, the same gang kidnapped one Ogunyemi Femi ‘m’ at his residence and took him to an unknown destination.
“The kidnappers did video recording of the victim, and forwarded it to his family, demanding for ransom.
“The kidnappers collected the sum of Three Million naira as ransom through the same Moniepoint Account belonging to late Oluwaseun Oworu Samuel ‘m’.
“The kidnappers refused to release the victim after the payment of the ransom. The victim was equally killed and his corpse was dropped into a shallow grave at Japara forest, iJebu-Igbo Ogun state, but has been recovered.
“On 27th February, 2024 at about 2044hrs, one Adedayo Kehinde Temitayo ‘m’ was about entering his house at Surulere Ipojo Golden Estate, Ijebu Ode, Ogun state when four armed men of same gang, intercepted him at the gate.
“The armed men escorted him to his room, robbed him and his wife one Mojisola Adedayo ‘f’ of their mobile phones and other valuables worth one Million and Sixty Nine thousand naira.
“The armed men later abducted the complainant to an unknown destination, and threw him inside the well at Imope forest in Ogun state, after doing short video recording of him at gunpoint compelling him to tell his family to pay a ransom of Ten Million Naira.
“The armed men forwarded the video recording to the victim’s family to coerce them to pay the ransom.
“The victim crawled out of the well and escaped miraculously. On 1st March, 2024 at about 2014hrs, Mojisola Adedayo ‘f’ received notification from Facebook through her Email that her password was just reset using the phone number +2349165594278 on her black Android phone that was earlier stolen by the Armed men that kidnapped her husband.
“On 12th March 2024, at about 2245hrs, one Oladokun Mathew ‘m’ and his wife, one Oladokun Bolanle ‘f’ together with their five children arrived at their residence at Akandi street, Awa Ijebu, Ogun state, and five armed men attacked them.
“The armed men robbed them of their valuables and kidnapped his wife, one Oladokun Bolanle ‘f’ to an unknown destination.
“The kidnappers later collected ransom, and refused to release the victim. In their usual pattern, the victim was killed and her corpse was dropped in a shallow grave at Awa-Ijebu.
“Her remains too have been recovered and released to her family.”
The CP listed the names of the arrested suspects to include Chukwuma Bathelomeu, 40; Igwe Monday Sunday, 42; Ifeanyi Mathias, 31; Anayo Simeon, 28; Ayo Adedayo, 46; Chibueze Odah, 41; Ejiofor Nwali, 35; Eke Peter, 22; Monday Paul, 24; and Chukwuma Zainab, 37.
Alamutu added: “Exhibits recovered from the suspects include one blue Tecno and three expended cartridges.
“Following a conclusive investigation, all suspects being paraded will be charged to Court for prosecution.”
