Matilda Omonaiye/
The police in Ogun have told how three teenagers killed a commercial motorbike rider and stole his bike.
According to the state police spokesman, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, 18-year-old Sodiq Awokoya; Odunayo Samson, 18, and Jimoh Rilwan, 17, were arrested for killing one Bashiru Umaru before snatching his motorcycle.
He said that the suspects were arrested on October 8, at the Tollgate area of Ogere where they had gone to sell the stolen motorcycle.
Oyeyemi told NewsmakersNG: “The buyer, who demanded the documents of the motorcycle before he can buy it became suspicious when the three suspects were giving conflicting accounts of how they came about the motorcycle. The buyer, there and then, secretly informed the police in Ogere Divisional Headquarters, consequent upon which the DPO Ogere Division, CSP Abiodun Ayinde, led his men to the scene and got the three suspects apprehended.
“On interrogation, they informed the police that the motorcycle was stolen from Iperu Remo, and they were subsequently handed over to the police at Iperu Division.
“Coincidentally, it was the time the relations of the deceased came to lodge a complaint about their missing person that the police brought the suspects from Ogere with the stolen motorcycle. On sighting the motorcycle, the relatives of the deceased quickly identified it and informed the police that the motorcycle brought with the suspects belongs to their missing brother.
“Upon the information, the policemen intensified their investigation into the case, and the suspects later confirmed that they snatched the motorcycle and that the owner is being tied to a tree in a bush. To rescue the victim, the policemen quickly led the suspects to the bush, but surprisingly, they have hacked him to death before taking away the motorcycle.
“Further investigation revealed that Samson Odunayo was the person, who called the deceased to take him somewhere in Iperu, unknown to the rider that he had already informed Sodiq Awokoya to wait in a bush along Ona Eri area of Iperu with cutlass and other dangerous weapons. On getting to the point, Samson Odunayo ordered the deceased to stop because he has gotten to his destination. While the victim was waiting to collect his money, Sodiq Awokoya came out with a cutlass and hacked him down. While wriggling in pain, Samson Awokoya moved near him and squeezed his neck until he gave up the ghost. They searched his pocket and found the sum of N5,500 which they also took away.
“Further investigations revealed that this is the second robbery operation carried out by the suspects. Their first victim was saved from being killed by the intervention of Jimoh Rilwan who appealed to the other two to spare the life of the victim having robbed him of a cash sum of N4,500, and that was the reason why Samson and Sodiq didn’t carry him along during their second operation.
“The motorcycle and the cutlass they used for killing the deceased have been recovered.
“Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police (CP) Lanre Bankole has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to the State Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department for discreet investigation, after which they would be charged to court.”
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