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| The suspects (far right, Odeyemi) |
The Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad of
the Nigeria Police Force, Adeniji-Adele Street, Lagos, on Monday
paraded a chief of the All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State, Itunnu
Odeyemi, and eight others, saying they were notorious for snatching
exotic cars in the country.
The police said Odeyemi was also an APC Local Government Area executive in Efon-Alaaye, Ekiti State.
Other members of the nine-man gang are
Omoniyi Ajewole, Oluseye Jacob, Oluwadamiliare Rasaki, Ajisafe Olawale,
Ogunniyi Sunday, Tolani Babatunde, Abubakar Umar, and Ayodeji Olumudi.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Mr.
Frank Mba, said the suspects were arrested after a victim, who was
robbed of two vehicles and other valuables on June 27, 2013 in Ile-Ife,
Osun State, reported to the police. He added that the case was later
transferred to the FSARS.
It was gathered that the arrest of
Ajewole, a 28-year-old man from Ilesha, Osun State, had led to the
arrest of other members of the gang which included Odeyemi, who Ajewole
also claimed was his political godfather.
While speaking with journalists, Odeyemi
denied being a member of the gang. He said he provided Ajewole with a
locally-made gun, which the police have recovered, to protect him during
the period of the recently concluded governorship election in Ekiti
State.
He said, “Omoniyi (Ajewole) is my
political thug. I brought him to my place and gave him a gun to secure
me. I have never participated in any robbery operation, but he used to
escort me with the gun. Having an escort was part of the gains of being a
political leader. All APC leaders were working for the government
during the election.
“Every political party, including ours
has factions. That was why I gave him the gun, so that he could always
protect me wherever I went. I also told him to be with me, particularly
as the Ekiti election was approaching then. I had seen the gun on the
ground during the 2007 elections violence in the state and had kept it.”
Ajewole, who was first caught by the
police, confessed during interrogation that he had been working as a
political thug for the APC chieftain.
He said, “He had given me the gun to use
in protecting him during campaign violence. But I had not yet used the
gun before I was arrested in September 2013. I am not a robber. I prefer
to be called a political thug. I was the only one the honourable
(Odeyemi) gave the gun, and he also paid me salary.”
Our correspondent learnt that after the
arrest of the gang, the FSARS were able to recover 17 stolen cars in
different parts of the country, most of which were Toyota and Honda
brands. Three assorted guns were also recovered from them.
Mba said the suspects would soon be arraigned in court.
He said, “This is a case that started on
June 27, 2013 when a Nigerian was robbed of two vehicles and other
valuables and he reported the incident to the police. This arrest is one
of the achievements of the FSARS. It led to the arrest of nine suspects
who were clearly linked with not just the armed robbery reported, but a
series of such in the country.
“An interesting aspect of the arrest is
that Ajewole confessed to the police that he was not an armed robber,
but also a political thug working for Odeyemi Itunnu from Efon Alaaye,
Ekiti State. We want to warn politicians to steer clear of actions that
are capable of posing a threat to the security of the country.”
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