The Police in Oyo State on Thursday said it had arrested 16 suspects, including a student of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, over alleged armed robbery, cultism and conspiracy.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Shina Olukolu, disclosed this while briefing newsmen of the command’s activities at the police headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan.
Olukolu said that the suspects were believed to be the criminals terrorising people of the state in the last few weeks.
He said that the arrested LAUTECH student had confessed to being a member of illegal Eiye secret confraternity in the institution and had been unleashing mayhem on members of the public and students.
Olukolu said that operatives of Special Anti-Robbery Squad arrested the student following a tip-off on June 6 at about 7.30 p.m. in Aroje area, Ogbomoso.
“The suspect had been on the wanted list of the police for his involvement in a series of criminal activities and a team of SARs operative on patrol swung into action after getting the information about him and he was arrested.
“Two locally-made pistols, four live cartridges, one knife and a cutlass were recovered from him.
“Investigation is now in progress to arrest other members of his cult gang,” he said.
It was learnt that among the suspects were two who allegedly hypnotized one Mary and collected N1.4 million from her while she was on the way to a bank at Dugbe area.
The commissioner said that Mary was sent by her boss to deposit the money in the bank when the suspects approached her, hypnotized her and collected the cash from her.
According to him, the suspects thereafter took their victim to Inalende area of Ibadan and inflicted several injuries on her and locked her inside a room.
He said that the victim was rescued by the police through information provided by members of the public “and the suspects were arrested’’
Olukolu said that a Toyota Camry car and other items bought with the money were recovered from the suspects.
He commended the public for constantly providing police with credible information that had led to the arrest of criminal elements in the state.
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