CRIME Sallah ram thief gets Kogi police nab notorious kidnap 6 months jail term syndicate
4 suspected robbers caught with charms, DSS ID card
The police in Kogi said they have arrested three members of a notorious kidnapping syndicate that have been terrorising residents along the Okene axis of the state.
State police commissioner, Mr Wilson Inalegwu, who paraded the suspects yesterday in Lokoja, said they were arrested on August 30.
He said policemen attached to Okene Division on “pin down duty” stopped a Gulf Station Wagon at a checkpoint but the driver refused to stop.
Inalegwu said his men gave the fleeing vehicle a chase and intercepted it, leading to the arrest of the suspects. The suspects include Mohammed Abdulrazak, Yusuf Abona Jafaru and Iliyasu Yusuf Nyamida.
Items recovered from them, according to the police, include one Barreta pistol with six rounds of live ammunition; one Tiger Pistol Revolver with 12 live ammunition, nine hand sets of different types, a small box containing surgical implements, one HP Laptop and an colour Golf station wagon Car with Reg. No. EKP 394 EX, EDO
He said the suspects will be arraigned in court on completion of investigation, adding that effort is on to track down other members of the syndicate. Four men alleged to have used guns to rob a man of his car have been remanded in prisons pending the determination of the case against them.
Hope Nathan, Gabriel Joshua, Gabriel Samuel and Emmanuel Joseph Ejaka, caught in possession of charms and a Department of State Service (DSS) identity card (ID), were arraigned before an FCT High Court in Maitama by the FCT police.
They face a five-count charge bordering on armed robbery, an offence punishable with death sentence under the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act.
Police alleged that the four defendants and others at large committed the offence on January 5 when they went with two guns and other weapons into the house of one Arowolo Jide Gabriel in Kabusa village, Abuja.
AMagistrate’s Court in Osogbo, Osun State has sentenced a 30-year-old man, Sulaiman Awokunle, to six months imprisonment for allegedly stealing a ram kept for Sallah by Saka Idowu.
The police prosecutor, Elisa Olusegun, told the court that Awokunle stole the ram valued at N25, 000 at about 6am inside Onunrin’s compound in Iree,
Olusegun said the accused person committed an offence contrary to Section 383 and punishable under Section 390(9) of the criminal code, cap 34, Vol. II, Laws of Odun state of Nigeria, 2003.
They allegedly robbed the man of one RAV 4 sport utility vehicle, one Samsung galaxy phone valued at N130,000, his driver’s license, vehicle particulars and the sum of N340,000.
The four were also alleged to have robbed one Adebayo Muftau, who came into the house of Arowolo while the robbery was going on. They allegedly dispossessed him of a Tecno mobile phone valued at N35,000.
Police said apart from the
Awokunle pleaded guilty to the one count-charge of theft levelled against him and pleaded for mercy.
His counsel, Najite Okobe, said his client was a first time offender and urged the court to mitigate his punishment.
Magistrate Adenike Olowolagba convicted Awokunle and sentenced him to six months imprisonment. The Magistrate however gave him an option of N4, 000 in the spirit of Eid el-Kabir.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a 41-yearold man, Kasimu Saka, was also arraigned before an Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan on Wednesday for allegedly stealing a ram valued at N40, 000. DSS ID card found in their possession, the defendants also had in their possession a pair of Nigeria Army camouflage trousers, belt, jungle cap, and the Nigeria police camouflage cap. The offence is punishable under Section 133 of the Penal Code.
The defendants were also said to have had in their possession charm reputed to possess power for their protection, and they thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 217 of the Penal Code.