10 nabbed over Isawo killings, vandalism

By Joseph Undu

LAGOS—Operatives of the Police Zonal Intervention Squad, ZIS, Zone 2 Command, Onikan, Lagos State, have arrested six suspected kidnappers and vandals said to be responsible for the murder of security operatives in Isawo, Ikorodu, recently.

The suspects, Tochukwuma Ohanezim, 34; Oluwadamilare Ojo, 38; Fatai Karounwi 32; Akeju Adeniyi, 38; Oyebanji Agboola, 45, and Innocent Ikechukwu, 42, were said to have been arrested on the 17th of April, 2017.

Briefing newsmen yesterday, Police Public Relations Officer, a Superintendent Dolapo Badmus, said the suspects were arrested around Ogijo and Ikorodu areas by detectives.

She said two pump action rifles, four live cartridges, two pumping machines, one Army bullet proof vest, one Army cap and one Toyota Corona were recovered from them.

According to Dolapo, four other suspected vandals were arrested yesterday with 150 kegs of petroleum products and one Iveco truck with number plates AAA 665 XM.

The suspects’ names were given as Mumbaiu Afolabi, Muse Akanbi, Yusuf Ajiboye and Ojo Ige.

‘I’m not a vandal’

Speaking to Vanguard, one of the suspected vandals, a Bachelor of Technology degree holder from Ekiti State, Oluwadamilare Ojo, 38, said he is an oil and gas dealer and not a kidnapper.

Ojo said: “I was arrested for buying products got from vandalised pipelines. I have been into this oil and gas business for about two years. So far, I have made over N200,000 profit.

“I used to buy my products with kegs and I sold with kegs. I have not met with the militants but buy my products from Ogijo. There are people there who buy from the militants and sell to us.

“I was arrested when I went to the police station to bail Tochukwu Ohanezim, who was earlier arrested. I only know him as an Igbo man, who lives on the same street with me. He used to sell clothes to us. I do not know anything about the guns.”

I was forced to join vandals—Fatai

Fatai Karounwi, a primary school leaver and welder, said: “I am married with three children. One Mr. Fish Gbangi introduced me to pipelines vandalism.

“I didn’t want to join, but he forced me to follow him at gunpoint because they needed my services.

“I decided to go since we were both living in the same area and many people are afraid of him.Fish doesn’t give me good money. Sometimes he gives me N10,000 or N15,000.

“When Tochukwu was arrested, one policeman went there to bail him. But because of the way they tortured him, he lied saying the policeman gave him gun. So the officer was arrested.

“The policeman then said I was the only one that can say the truth. They invited me to come and testify and then arrested me.”

 

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