By Michael Ofulue, Osogbo
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Everyday is for the thief and one day is for the owner of the house so it was for two men who specialised in attacking Osun communities to steal goats as they reportedly met their waterloo in the hands of Safer Highway patrol policemen who were on routing surveillance and check.
The police operatives while on stop and search of vehicles apprehended the two suspects; Naheem Ibrahim, 46; and Suraju Isiaka, 33; while they were making attempt to move the animals to Lagos in a vehicle, Lexus SUV.
Upon police search, it was discovered that the suspects were in possession of 14 live and one dead goats (she-goat) bringing the number to 15 goats to sell to their perspective customers in Lagos State .
Upon discovering the stolen animals, policemen who arrested them immediately moved the suspects and the stolen goats to the police headquarters in Osogbo for questioning and further investigation .
Reports reaching our correspondent identified some of the communities where the suspects stole the goats as: Osogbo, Ikirun, Obagun, Iree, Eripa, Otan-Ayegbaju and Ila communities, all in Osun State .
Their modus operandi is to target the time the owners of the goats have gone to bed and also target the time the night guards employed to watch over the communities were yet to assume duty.
Our correspondent investigation revealed that, residents of these communities have been wondering how their goats have been reportedly missing without traces .
Sometimes, owners of the animals have cause to suspect people within their villages unknown to them that the culprits were intruders invading their communities from another state to perpetrate the evil.
According to a statement by the police spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, she said the suspects were heading to Lagos in a Lexus SUV with the animals stolen from different communities when they were intercepted by the policemen.
“Today, May 10, 2023, around 3.10am, police team from Safer Highway Patrol along Odeomu-Sekona axis, arrested the above-named suspects in possession of 14 live goats and one dead goat (she-goat).
“Upon interrogation, they confessed to have stolen the goats from different locations in Osogbo, Ikirun and lla-Orangun to be sold to one lya Bisola at Mile-12, Lagos State. More so, the suspects confessed to have been operating in Osun State since 2019.”
She said the suspects confessed that their time of operation was between 8pm and 10pm before night guards at various locations report for duty, adding that the goats were usually sold between N5,000 and N10,000.
“They confessed how they usually operate. They always target the time night guards will assume duty and ensure they finish their operations before then. They also revealed in their confession how they sell the stolen goats between N5,000 and N10,000 to their perspective customers.
” We are still investigating the matter and ensure that all their accomplices are brought to Justice, “Opalola stated.
Consequently, the residents of these communities ,Osogbo, Ikirun, Obagun, Iree, Eripa, Otan-Ayegbaju and Ila,whose goats were stolen have been invited by the police to come for parade identification and possible collection .
“Osun State Police Command has told residents of the state to check at the state command headquarters in Osogbo for their missing goats, following the recovery of 15 goats from the two inter-state livestock robbers.
One of the residents who spoke with our correspondent but pleaded to remain anonymous said ” every day, we wake up to discover that one or two goats were missing and we continued wondering who was behind the goat theft in our community in Eripa.
She said: “I have visited the police headquarters to identify my own so others whose goats were also stolen or missing came as well for identification.
Asked if she paid money before collecting, she said no, that immediately you were able to identify your own, police will allow you to carry it without paying a dine. She however, commended the policemen who intercepted the criminals, saying each of the goats which they confessed to have been selling between N5,000 and N10,000 are sold between N30,000 to N40,000.
While urging the police to do more investigation to apprehend the buyer the police, however said the suspects would be charged to court soon after investigation is concluded just as he called on the general public to be security conscious at all times and report any strange face found in their respective communities, saying the job of crime prevention, detection and control is for everybody.
