BY Victor Akinkuolie, Ado-Ekiti
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The Ekiti State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of eight persons who specialise in snatching motorcycles within Ado-Ekiti and other identified areas in the state.
The police said the operation was carried out by the operatives of the command, following the recent incessant reported cases of robbery operations in the state, especially snatching of motorcycles from their owners within Ado-Ekiti, the capital of the state.
According to the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Akinwale Adeniran, the operation was to launch manhunt for criminal elements who are terrorizing innocent residents of the state.
“This order has yielded positive results as the Command Rapid Response Squad (RRS), upon a tip-off, arrested Adebayo Bashiru, Oluyemi Kunle, Gabriel Isaac, Abubakar Abdullahi, Macon Andrew and Peter Ninfa, who are notorious vehicles and motorcycles’ snatchers within Ikere/Ado-Ekiti and Igede-Ekiti Axis of the state.
“The suspects, during interrogation, confessed that they have snatched so many motorcycles from their owners within Ikere/Ado/Igede-Ekiti axis. They mentioned one Lawali Ibrahim and Kabiru Abdullahi, as their accomplices who usually buy the motorcycles from them after snatching.”
He added that further efforts intensified led to the arrest of the three buyers who equally confessed that they have transported seven of the stolen motorcycles to the Northern part of Nigeria for resale.
The Commissioner disclosed that one unregistered yellow colour Bajaj Boxer motorcycle was recovered from the suspects at the point of arrest.
He said some of the victims came to identify the recovered motorcycle as the one used by the robbers to accost and rob them, after which they escaped.
Recalled the Oye Divisional Police Headquarters in the state, recently collaborated with some residents of Trinity Hostel Area in Oye-Ekiti, to arrest a notorious motorcycle snatcher, one Bernard Shadrach, who had snatched many motorcycles from their owners within Oye-Ekiti, alongside his gang member on the run.
The police assured that efforts are being intensified to make more possible arrest of the other fleeing members of the gang.
He warned that the police in the state, under his watch will continue to intensify more surveillance and make Ekiti State safe for the innocent residents.