HEADLINENEWS.NEWS Correspondent reports that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has reacted after bandits were seen showing off ransom received from victims, saying ‘We can’t arrest all criminals in one day’.
A security expert, Zagazola Makama, shared some photographs on X which showed individuals posing with large sums of cash in N1000 denominations, with one image featuring a bandit sitting on a motorcycle with a rifle beside him.
Another image shows that the currency notes were arranged on a floor.
Zagazola had written, “They are now posing with the ransom money. Showing that they are balling.”
In response, the Police Force Public Relations Officer ACP Adejobi, acknowledged that while not all criminals could be apprehended at once, no one would go unpunished.
He encouraged Nigerians to appreciate the efforts of law enforcement, highlighting the daily arrests of numerous criminals.
The police spokesman wrote, “We can’t apprehend all the criminals at once. At least appreciate us for the ones we have arrested. We arrest them on a daily basis, in large numbers.
“The armed forces and the police are trying their best. Efforts of security forces should be seen, noticed, and appreciated.
We can't apprehend all the criminals at once. At least appreciate us for the ones we have arrested. We arrest them on a daily basis, in large numbers. The armed forces and the police are trying their best. Efforts of security forces should be seen, noticed, and appreciated. We… https://t.co/HIF8dfxvqa
— Prince Olumuyiwa Adejobi (@Princemoye1) August 9, 2024
“We need to look towards having the collective efforts and individualistic involvement in tackling insecurity and other vices in Nigeria. One thing is sure, no criminal will go unpunished,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Ogun State Police Command said it has arrested a seven-man gang that specialised in kidnapping and killing their victims after collecting ransom from their relatives.
The group, according to the state commissioner of police, Abiodun Alamutu, who disclosed this at the command’s headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, the state capital, on Friday, operates in the in the Ijebu-Igbo area in Ijebu North local government area of the state.
He said two members of the gang, Chukwuma Bathlomew, aged 40, and Igwe Sunday, aged 42, were arrested and paraded last month, while 31-year-old Ifeanyi Mathias, Anayo Simeon, aged 28, and Ayo Adedayo, aged 46, were recently arrested.
Others were Chibueze Odah, aged 41; Ejiofor Nwali, aged 35; and 22-year-old Eke Peter, Monday Paul, aged 24, and 37-year-old Chukwuma Zainab.
Alamutu said, “On July 28, 2023, at about 1 a.m. in Ojowo area of Ijebu-Igbo, the armed men invaded the house of one Raheem Azeez and robbed him and his wife, Raheem Afolashade, of their valuables.”
He said, “The armed men later went to another house belonging to one Oluwaseun Oworu Samuel ‘m’ and shot him with a gun through the window before they have access to his house and robbed him of his POS machine, recharge cards, cash, and other valuables.
“The armed robbers left the victim in his pool of blood. Oluwaseun Oworu Samuel ‘m’ was later taken to Babcock University Hospital for medical attention, but he died on August 4, 2023, at the hospital. His corpse was deposited at the morgue for autopsy.”
The CP said that similarly, “on October 2, 2023, at about 1:30 a.m. in the Egbe area, Oke Sopen, Ijebu Igbo, the same gang stormed the house of Adegbenga Adeniran and kidnapped his daughter, one Elizabeth Adeniran, aged 17, and took her to an unknown destination”.
The Commissioner said, “The kidnappers later collected N3.1m as ransom through an account belonging to late Oluwaseun Oworu Samuel ‘m’ that was shot earlier at his residence.
“Despite collecting ransom, the kidnappers still went ahead to kill the young girl and dumped her corpse in a well at Oke-Agbo area, Ijebu-Igbo.
Alamutu said that on November 11, 2023, at about 10:10pm, the same armed gang struck again attacking the traditional ruler of Aparaki Ijebu, Prof Julius Niyi Benedict, and robbed him and his wife, Abigael Olubunmi, of their phones and other valuables.
They were said to have later shot the traditional ruler and kidnapped his wife, after which they transferred N15,050 from the account of the kidnapped victim to the account of late Oluwaseun Oworu.
The kidnappers later tied down the victim and abandoned her inside the forest, but she later escaped unhurt and reunited with her family.
The CP explained further that on November 23, 2023, at about 9:30pm, behind Abusi Edumare Academy School, Ijebu Igbo, the gang was again on the rampage, kidnapping one Ogunyemi Femi at his residence and taking him to an unknown destination.
