Men of the Kwara State Police Command have arrested three suspected armed robbers who have been terrorising students of Kwara State University (KWASU) Malete and other residents of the community.
The arrest of the leader of the gang, Ridwan Abdulfatahi, 20, followed the report of the latest armed robbery operation in Malete to the police by
Adeboyo Omolade, Adeyeye Adebola and Babatunde Hellen, all students of KWASU.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the arrested gang leader later led policemen to their hideout, where his two partners in crime,
Ibrahim Ridwan Akorede, 25, and Aliyu Apalado, 25, were arrested.
The police recovered items from the suspects, which include one locally made gun, one Jack knife and charms, 11 generators, two motorcycles, one small sized fridge, one standing fan and one pumping machine.
Other items recovered by the Police included 19 iPhones, six handsets,
three iPhones, 11 handsets, 16 iPhone 6 plus, five iPhone XR and other brands mobile phones altogether totalling 87 handsets, 10 laptops and two television sets.
The spokesman of Kwara State Police Command, Okasanmi Ajayi, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects on Sunday, said they have confessed to the crimes.
Ajayi added: “Due to reports of armed robbery/rape cases recieved by Malete Divisional Police headquarters from attacked students and residents of Malete, a University town in Kwara State, the Commissioner of Police, CP Paul Odama set up a crack team of detectives comprising the 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.
“In carrying out the directive of the CP after recieving another report of an armed robbery attack from the trio of Adeboyo Omolade ‘F’, Adeyeye Adebola ‘F’ and Babatunde Hellen ‘F’ all 400L students of Kwara State University, Malete that at about 0330hrs of 07/10/2022, they were all robbed at their hostel called ‘Downtown’ hostel by armed hoodlums and their property forcefully carted away, the crime team swung into action.
“While approaching the suspected hideout of the gang, the team was sighted by the hoodlums and the armed robbers took to their heels, one Ridwan Abdulfatai ‘M’ aged 20yrs, from Oke Fomo Ilorin was arrested by the detectives.
“Consequently, the suspect under intense interrogation confessed he is the leader of a robbery gang terrorising the Malete community and its environs, stating also that he is also a jail bird.
“He led the investigators to effect the arrest of two other members of the gang, namely, Ibrahim Ridwan Akorede ‘M’ 25yrs of Oke Fomo area of Ilorin, and Aliyu Abubakar Apalado ‘M’ 25yrs, they all confessed to the crimes.”
He added that effort was in top gear towards arresting the remaining members of the gang.
