The Lagos State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a septuagenarian, John Adeyemi, and two others, Sakariyau Biliaminu and Gabriel Ajayi, in connection with the death of a yet-to-be-identified burglar in the Ikotun area of the state.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the burglar broke into the house of one Adeyemi Opeyemi and while attempting to dispossess her of her valuables, the victim raised the alarm, which made the burglar to bolt away.
The burglar was said to have run into an angry mob, who apprehended and lynched him.
In a statement on Thursday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said three community leaders, Sakariyau Biliaminu, 66; John Adeyemi, 77; and Gabriel Ajayi, 55, were arrested and were being questioned in relation to the suspect’s killing.
He said, “Police operatives attached to the Ikotun Division of the command, on Wednesday, April 7, 2021, arrested three community leaders in the Ikotun area of Lagos State for lynching a suspected burglar.
“The burglar had gained entry into the room of one Mrs Adeyemi Opeyemi of No. 2 Asalu bus stop, off Abaranje Road, Ikotun, Lagos, in an attempt to rob her, but she raised the alarm and the burglar escaped into the street, where some members of the community apprehended and beat him to death.
“The community leaders arrested are Sakariyau Biliaminu, 66; John Adeyemi, 77; and Gabriel Ajayi, 55. These suspects have some questions to answer pertaining to the killing of the suspect.
While explaining that the state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, condemned the act of jungle justice meted to the suspect, Adejobi stated that the CP “vowed to kick against such in the state as it is becoming rampant and inimical to the collective efforts to improve on the criminal justice system of Lagos State.”
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Adejobi said police personnel attached to the Ojo Division of the command, in furtherance of the directive of the CP to go after traffic robbers, on April 6, 2021, arrested three suspected traffic robbers, Bashiru Ammo, 19; Ibrahim Mohammed, 23; and Arinze Victor, 19, for attacking innocent commuters in the Ojo area of the state.
He stated, “As a follow-up to police investigation, other suspected receivers to the traffic robbers were arrested on April 7, 2021. They are Bello Jafaru, 20; Nuru Abdullahi, 23; Nafiu Saray, 21; and Bashiru Mohammed, 19. The suspects have confessed to the crime of attacking and dispossessing commuters and innocent Lagosians of their belongings along the Ojo-Iba Road.
“In addition, during the course of investigation, one Lucky Gurube, 19, of no fixed address was arrested. He confessed to being a pickpocket and had been picking people’s phones in the Iyana Iba area of Ojo, Lagos.”
In another development, Adejobi said policemen attached to the Ojo Division, on April 7, 2021, around 3.30am, nabbed a set of suspected traffic robbers in the Iyana Iba/PPL area, in conjunction with some traders at the Alaba Rago Market.
“The suspects are Matthew Christopher, 25; Babangida Umoru, 25; and Babangida Abdullahi, 19, all of no fixed addresses. They were arrested with some weapons like knives, cutlasses, broken bottles and others. They have all confessed to the crime,” the PPRO said.
Similarly, police personnel attached to the Ikeja Division, on April 5, 2021 around 12.15am, accosted three suspected armed robbers on a motorcycle on the Awolowo Way, Ikeja, and arrested one of them, while the others fled.
Adejobi stated, “The suspect, Malik Abdullahi, was arrested in possession of one locally-made single-barrelled gun with assorted charms. He is helping the police to get the fleeing suspects at all cost. The CP has ordered that all the suspects be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba, for proper investigation and possible prosecution as the command will leave no stone unturned in getting rid of crime and criminality in the state.
“The police boss charged officers and men of the command to be proactive to security issues around their areas of responsibility, as they are expected to exploit available resources, including robust intelligence, community policing concept and public relations to police their areas.”
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