Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Shina Olukolu, yesterday, paraded a fake soldier for impersonation and rape, two cattle rustlers and 42 other suspects.
The suspects, arrested for offences ranging from cultism, armed robbery, murder, rape, kidnapping, impersonation, receipt of stolen goods, and threat to life, were paraded at the headquarters of the state command, Eleyele, Ibadan,
Olukolu recalled his assurances at the beginning of 2020 to residents of the state of the determined preparedness of the police to continue to carry out their constitutional responsibilities as enshrined in Section 4 of the Police Acts and Regulations, including protection of life and property, preservation of law and order as well as carrying out due enforcement of all laws and regulations.
“I wish to state that we have re-doubled our efforts and reviewed the security architecture as shown in the renewed activity of the Police Tactical teams – Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Anti-Kidnapping Squad (AKS), STS, Federal Highway Patrol, SAFER Highway, Skynet Squad, Puff Adder team, and so on,” Olukolu said.
A middle age woman, identified as Abimbola Oyebamiji, 46, was rescued by the police from suspected kidnappers, after she was abducted at Isaguna village, Labode Road, Off Old Oyo Expressway while working on her poultry farm, though she lives at Alaafia community, Zone Five, Olorunda-Aba in Lagelu Local Government Area of the state.
Olukolu, while speaking with journalists, disclosed that the suspected kidnappers dispossessed the woman of some amount of money, handsets and other valuables, while they demanded N60 million as ransom.
The police boss also confirmed the arrest of a fake military officer, Sodiq Abiodun, 29, who was accused of having a carnal knowledge of a 17-year-old girl, Alimot Ismail, at his hideout at Papa Eleye in Olomi area of Ibadan.
He was said to have accosted the victim on February 19, at about 8:30a.m, while wearing a full Nigerian Army camouflage at a desolate spot at Modina, Orita Aperin, Ibadan.
“The hoodlum attacked the said Ismail, dispossessed her of her cell phone and abducted her to his hide-out at Papa Eleye, Olomi area, Ibadan, where his partner was waiting for him. The victim was held hostage and later raped serially until the next day.
“As soon as the incident was reported at SARS office, a team of SARS operatives swung into action and the two hoodlums, who later identified themselves as Sodiq Abiodun and Lekan Adesokan, 31, were arrested in connection with the crime. A complete set of Nigerian Army uniform, was recovered from him,” the police commissioner said.
Sodiq, in an interview with journalists, denied raping Ismail, saying the two of them had sexual intercourse based on mutual consent. But he was incoherent when he was asked to explain where he got the complete Nigerian Army camouflage.