BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
A suspected car thief, Oluwasanmi Adebanjo, who was recently arrested by the Osun State Police Command, has begged the Force for leniency, saying he has realised his mistakes and has decided to turn a new leaf.
The 25-year-old man, who hails from Ikirun, headquarters of Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state, said he could not fathom what led him to stealing the vehicles alongside his gang members.
He explained how he met a friend, identified as Arora Shappy, who he said introduced him to robbery, adding that before then, he was only an Indian hemp smoker.
While resolving not to venture into crime again, the suspect said he wished he could be given a second chance, vowing that, “If I ever commit any crime again, government should kill me.”
In an interview with The Point after he was paraded alongside other suspects by the Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, who represented the Commissioner of Police, Kehinde Longe, at the police headquarters in Osogbo, Adebanjo claimed he only partook in an operation in Iwo, Osun State.
He said, “I met Arora Shappy on April 9, 2023. He is like a brother to me. He told me of his intention to rob a house. He asked me to follow him and I joined him and Tayo, making three of us. Tayo held a cutlass, Arora Shappy held a rod while I held a gun that was not functioning well. The robbery was successful and we didn’t injure or kill anyone. I know what I have done is very bad. I’ve never done this, I only smoke Igbo (Indian hemp). I beg the Police to forgive me and give me another chance. If I ever do it again, government can even kill me.”
Opalola narrated how police operatives arrested 14 suspected armed robbers, receivers of stolen property and other conspirators, saying the Force had received intelligence from members of the public who were attacked and robbed before the arrests were made.
Some other suspects, according to the PPRO, included Rasaki Bakare a.k.a Ari; Emmanuel Tayo, Julius Olalekan, Kehinde Afeez, among others.
He added that eight vehicles, including a Lexus RX350, Toyota Sienna, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Matrix and Toyota Dyna, were recovered from the suspects.
The police image maker disclosed that the suspects carried out robbery operations in different towns, including Iwo, Ikirun and Inisa, adding that they abducted one of their victims from Ikirun at gun point before they dispossessed him of his Lexus RX350 SUV, phones and other valuable items worth over N7 million.
“Immediately the case was referred for discreet investigation, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad recovered the Toyota Lexus RX350 in Akure, Ondo State,” she said.
She added that intelligence led the operatives to Iwo/Ikirun axis where other vehicles were also recovered. Opalola noted further that anti-kidnapping detectives recovered a Toyota Corolla (Big Daddy) and arrested three suspects -Tayo, Rasaki a.k.a Aro, and Oluwasanmi – at Olodo area in Ibadan, Oyo State.
“Further investigation led to the arrest of Femi Adeniran, Ogunremi Adeyemi, Ayobami Azeez and Lawal Omotayo for aiding the registration and computer production of fake number plates and documents for the stolen vehicles,” she added.
Opalola listed the buyers of the stolen vehicles as Safianu Abubakar, Mohammed Abdullahi, Adewale Abiodun a.k.a Dudu, Kazeem Ayandele a.k.a Cowbell and Adebisi Kabiru, saying that all the suspects would be charged to court after investigation must have been completed.
