The Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Dare Ogundare, on Friday paraded 17 suspects for criminal offences which included murder, kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery, and arson.
The CP, who was represented by the Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State Commander, Sunday Abutu, during the parade, said efforts were ongoing to arrest other members of the various gangs who escaped.
He said, “On September 15, 2023, at about 09:30 hours, based on a credible tip-off that some suspected cultists, who usually robbed innocent citizens of their valuables, were planning another armed robbery attack from their hideout in Ikere Ekiti, the command’s Rapid Response Squad immediately mobilised to the scene and arrested them.
“The arrested suspects were Adewumi Gbenga, Gideon Samson, Ogundare Tobi, Adamolekun Lekan, Olanipekun Daniel, Daramola Tope, Mayowa Ojo, Alaba Ayobami, Aremo Olatunji Oladele, Adebayo Peter and Abiodun Bosede.
“Upon investigation, it was discovered that the suspects partook in the attack and setting ablaze of Afao Divisional Police Headquarters, Ikere-Ekiti during the #EndSARS protest in 2020 and carted away arms and valuables from the stations, adding that one of the AK-47 rifles was recovered from them.”
The CP added that intensified efforts by the RRS operatives led to the arrest of three others adding that the AK-47 rifle was “part of the arms used to rob one Olasunkanmi Joseph of the cash sum of N3.5million at Irona roundabout, Ado-Ekiti on 06/04/2023 where the victim was killed on the spot.”