The Ogun State Police Command has successfully apprehended the remaining five members of a notorious kidnapping and murder gang that has terrorized the Ijebu-Igbo axis of the state.
The arrests were announced by the Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, during a press briefing at the State Headquarters in Abeokuta on Friday 9th August 2024.
The gang, responsible for multiple cases of kidnapping, murder, and armed robbery, was first partially exposed on July 29, 2024, when two of its members, Chukwuma Bartholomew and Igwe Monday, were arrested and confessed to their crimes. They led police operatives to a forest in Ijebu-Igbo, where the remains of their victims were discovered in a shallow grave. At that time, the police revealed that five other members of the gang were still at large.
In a significant breakthrough, CP Alamutu announced that all five fugitives have now been apprehended and have provided confessional statements. The police outlined the gang’s sophisticated and brutal methods, which have plagued the Ijebu-Igbo community for over a year.
The press briefing detailed several heinous crimes attributed to the gang, including:
July 28, 2023: Four armed men invaded the home of Raheem Azeez and his wife in the Ojowo area, robbing them of valuables. The gang also attacked another resident, Oluwaseun Oworu Samuel, who was shot and later died from his injuries.
October 2, 2023: The gang kidnapped 17-year-old Elizabeth Adeniran from her home in Egbe, Ijebu-Igbo, after extorting a ransom of N3.1 million. They later murdered her and disposed of her body in a well.
November 11, 2023: The gang targeted the home of the traditional ruler of Aparaki Ijebu, Professor Julius Niyi Benedict. They robbed the family, kidnapped the Professor’s wife, and demanded a ransom. Though she eventually escaped unharmed, the attack shocked the community.
November 23, 2023: The gang kidnapped Ogunyemi Femi, demanded a ransom, and then killed him, burying his body in a shallow grave in Japara Forest, Ijebu-Igbo.
February 27, 2024: The gang abducted Adedayo Kehinde Temitayo in Ijebu Ode and attempted to extort N10 million from his family. Though they left him to die in a well, he miraculously escaped.
March 12, 2024: The gang kidnapped and murdered Oladokun Bolanle in Awa Ijebu, after collecting a ransom from her family. Her body was also recovered from a shallow grave.
In total, the gang is linked to the deaths of multiple victims, including 17-year-old Elizabeth Adelaja Adeniran and Bolanle Oladokun.
The suspects, now in police custody, include Chukwuma Barthelomew, Igwe Monday Sunday, Ifeanyi Mathias, Anayo Simeon, Ayo Adedayo, Chibueze Odah, Ejiofor Nwali, Eke Peter, Monday Paul, and Chukwuma Zainab. Recovered items include a blue Tecno Camon phone and three expended cartridges.
CP Alamutu confirmed that the suspects will face charges and be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.