End of the road for LAUTECH robbery, rape suspects

                                             •Some of the suspected criminals and recovered goods

When students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso stormed major roads in the city to protest continued robbery attacks on their female hostel and raping the helpless ladies, they did not in their wildest dreams think that the said robbers could be among them.

The attacks attracted reactions from different groups and even the Oyo State House of Assembly. One of the groups,Women Against Rape, Sexual Harassment and Sexual Exploitation (WARSHE) condemned the serial cases of rape, sexual assault and other forms of sexual violence on students of the institution.The group described the lawless and inhuman acts as “brutal, r eckless use of male power and violation of rights of innocents girls.”

In a statement signed by its Programme Officer, Titilope Olanrewaju, the group stated, “It is based on this that WARSHE thereby considers this latest act of the LAUTECH rapists as highly barbaric, inhuman and despicable, particularly in this day and age, when the global community through several international conventions and treaties such as the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, is united against sexual violence and other forms of assault against women. It is sad that this is happening now.

“WARSHE, therefore, calls on relevant authorities, particularly the Oyo State Government, the local governments which superintend over Ogbomoso and its environs, and security agencies to rise up to live up to their responsibility and stem the activities of this nefarious group and help secure the lives and dignity of these female students. They also need to stem the dehumanization of the male students who are being forced to rape their colleagues…”

In unison, the women “say No to violation of young women who implicitly trusted the community to protect them when they choose to attend LAUTECH .

Also, in the House of Assembly, lawmaker, Mrs. Bimbo Olawunmi Oladeji who represents Ogbomoso North brought the matter before the House and called on the Legislators to do something urgent about the security situation in Ogbomoso. She said, “There is general insecurity in Ogbomoso. In recent times,there have been cases of armed robbery attacks and harassment of LAUTECH students. I will urge the house to look into the issue.

“Owing to all these comments, the state Police Command recorded a breakthrough as they arrested three suspects who were alleged to have been involved in the ungodly act. While parading the suspects alongside other suspects, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Leye Oyebade said, “ a 400L male student of the Department of Transport, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso who belonged to a notorious criminal gang nicknamed ‘Three Mopols’ was arrested on 3rd November, 2015 in his criminal hideout by the special anti robbery squad in Oyo/Ogbomoso. “

The gang, according to him, was responsible for breaking into students hostels,stealing valuable property and sometimes raping their female colleagues. But through a diligent and intelligence led policing strategy coupled with collaboration of our strategic partners in the institution,one Kayode Oluwaseyi ‘m’ was arrested.

His arrest and subsequent confession led to the arrest of two criminal receivers – Adeyemi Samuel Taiwo and Adeyemi Samson Kehinde who received some of the stolen items. When a search was conducted in the house of Kayode Oluwaseyi, a HP laptop computer belonging to one of his victims and a toy gun used for robbery operations were recovered. Kayode Oluwaseyi also confessed to have burgled several houses and carried out many robbery operations in the Ogbomoso area

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When asked what led him into that shameful act, the suspect confessed that it was true he was involved in the constant raids but tried to exonerate his accomplices saying they were not among the gang but that they always bought the stolen goods from him.Also paraded was another alleged notorious criminal who had been responsible for the spate of robberies in the Ajebamidele/Atogun area, Otu and its environs.

The CP said, “ On 1st October, 2015 at about 9pm, one Ibe Ayando resident of Budo Jagun via Otu was attacked by a three man gang of armed robbers when he was riding his motorcycle along the Ajebamidele/Atogun Road. He was dispossessed of his Bajaj motorcycle by the hoodlums who also inflicted severe machete cuts on him for which he received medical attention. The report prompted the Police to swing into action hunting for the culprits.The arrest of Demo Sabi, the gang leader and his confessional statement led to the arrest of two other members of the gang.

He added further that Police-Public partnership in crime prevention and management yielded fruits when an alleged robber was arrested after robbing his victim, Azeez Saheed of his Haojue Suzuki motorcycle on 5th November,2015.

“The victim was returning from his farm at Abu village via Akinmorin, via Oyo on the fateful day when he was attacked by his assailant who had barricaded the road with logs. Though fatally injured with a broken Coca-Cola bottle, the victim raised an alarm which eventually led to the arrest of the fleeing suspect.

The snatched motorcycle with reg No. QV 853 LUY was later recovered from the suspect. The police also hinted thatfor some time now, a criminal gang had been robbing people of their valuables, causing wanton destruction of property, breaking into shops at markets, maiming innocent people and causing breakdown of law and order at Beere, Mapo and Born Foto areas of Ibadan.

“Through our robust intelligent network and the collaboration of our strategic partners, operatives of the special anti robbery squad, Ibadan, located the criminal hideout of the hoodlums. In a well-coordinated operation that lasted for some hours, four of the robbery suspects were rounded up when planning to carry out one of their deadly operations.

Items allegedly recovered from the suspects include, a toy gun, seven assorted laptops, thirty four assorted phones, one Olympic camera, one LG TV, one LG Plasma TV, three stabilisers, one GOTV decoder, six different Laptop batteries, and the sum of N126,100.