Three teenagers arrested for murder, robbery in Ogun

The trio of Sodiq Awokoya, Odunayo Samson and Jimoh Rilwan, have been arrested by the Police in Ogun State over the death of a motorcyclist, Bashiru Umaru.

The suspects were reported to have snatched the deceased motorcycle for killing him.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the suspects were arrested at the point where they had gone to sell the stolen motorcycle.

The prospective buyer of the motorcycle was said to have been suspicious of them when he demanded the documents of the motorcycle, and they were said to be giving conflicting accounts.

He was said to have immediately informed the Police at the Ogere Divisional Police Headquarters.

The Police led by Divisional Police Officer, CSP Abiodun Ayinde, apprehended the teenagers who are 18 and 17 years respectively.

They confessed to have stolen the motorcycle from the deceased at Iperu Remo and decided to sell it off.

Their confession coincided with the time the relatives of the deceased had gone to the station to report the missing person.

Abimbola said, “On interrogation, they informed the police that the motorcycle was stolen from Iperu Remo, and they were subsequently handed over to police in the Iperu division.

“Coincidentally, it was the time the relations of the deceased came to lodge a complaint about their missing person that the police brought the suspects from Ogere with the stolen motorcycle. On sighting the motorcycle, the relatives of the deceased quickly identified it and informed the police that the motorcycle brought with the suspects belongs to their missing brother.

“Upon the information, the policemen intensified their investigation into the case, and the suspects later confirmed that they actually snatched the motorcycle and that the owner is being tied to a tree in a bush. In order to rescue the victim, the policemen quickly led the suspects to the bush, but surprisingly, they have hacked him to death before taking away the motorcycle.

“Further investigation revealed that Samson Odunayo was the person who called the deceased to take him to somewhere in Iperu, unknown to the okada man that he had already informed Sodiq Awokoya to wait in a bush along Ona Eri area of Iperu with cutlass and other dangerous weapons. On getting to the point, Samson Odunayo ordered the deceased to stop because he has gotten to his destination.

“While the deceased was waiting to collect his money, Sodiq Awokoya came out with a cutlass and hacked him down. While wriggling in pain, Samson Awokoya moved near him and strangulated him until he gave up the ghost. They searched his pocket and found the sum of N5,500 which they also took away.

“Further investigation revealed that this is the second robbery operations carried out by the suspects. Their first victim was saved from being killed by the intervention of Jimoh Rilwan who appealed to the other two to spare the life of the victim having robbed him of a cash sum of N4,500, and that was the reason why Samson and Sodiq didn’t carry him along during their second operation.”

Abimbola said the motorcycle and the cutlass they used for killing the deceased have been recovered.

(Nigerian Tribune)