Police arrest cattle farmers in hotel room after highway robbery

The suspects

Efforts by the people of Oyo State to stem the tide of robbery through community initiative may have started to yield results as a team of night guards again arrested a notorious robbery suspect said to be terrorising travellers on the Moniya-Oyo Expressway.
Two months ago, some highway guards engaged a gang of bandits in a gun battle in the Oke Ogun area of the state. The vigilance group on patrol on the Moniya-Oyo Expressway reportedly arrested a member of a robbery gang, one Mohammed Bello, who was said to specialise in terrorising unsuspecting travellers in the area. Bello, 22, was said to have been arrested in a botched robbery attempt on the highway. Following the interrogation of the suspect by the police, a team of detectives attached to the State Anti-Robbery Squad, combed the highway in effort to apprehend the hoodlums.Crime Digest gathered that three other members of the gang, Buba Abubakar, 25; Umoru Bature, 20; and Kirus Mohammed, 22, were arrested by the police at their hideout in a hotel at Kara, Akinyele area of Moniya. Items recovered from the bandits included a dane gun, three live cartridges, a cutlass and some charms. Also recovered were several pieces of guinea brocade estimated at N50,000. The suspects told Crime Digest that they were farmers, who were also engaged in cattle rearing, saying they took to robbery as a result of the hard times. Bello explained that he was not a notorious robber as alleged, saying it was the first time that he was arrested for armed robbery. He said, “This is the first time I ever got into police net. I just went into robbery a few months ago and I don’t do it every time. I rob because things are hard for me. It is not something that I enjoy doing.” According to the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, Mr. Adisa Bolanta, the suspects have confessed to the alleged crime. Bolanta said, “The suspects said they stole the items from passengers when they robbed a vehicle on the Oyo-Ibadan Expressway. Residents of Akinyele area of Moniya, Ibadan have been complaining of the activities of the men of the underworld. With this arrest, we are sure that members of the community can now sleep with their eyes closed. “I only appeal to the people to join hands with the police in crime fighting. It will be easy if the people make up their minds to expose elements with questionable character among them. This will make the job of the police much easier.” The police commissioner pledged that his command would ensure that lives and property of the people of the state were protected. He said, “Our duty is to burst crime even before it is committed. We shall continue to give the criminals a good fight until we are able to bring them down.”

Source:punch