Kayode Afolabi, Ore

Residents of Olupitan area in Ore, the headquarters of Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State on Saturday, apprehended a middle aged serial burglar.

The burglar, who identified himself as Sunday Joseph, claimed to be a vigilante, protecting the residents of the area.

  It was learnt that the suspect was caught at the early hours of Saturday after breaking into some houses and stole phones, money within the area.

Some residents, who spoke with The Hope Metro said the suspect had been coming to the area to break into people’s houses to steal without being caught.

The Hope Metro gathered that the suspect had already been caught with the same crime about two years ago but he escaped

It took the efforts of some strong youths in the area, who pinned the suspect down as he made to escape.

Initially, he lied that he was not in the area to steal, but after he was given the beating of his life, he confessed to committing the crime.

A resident within the area who identified himself as Kehinde Ajibade, explained to our correspondent that at the early hours of Saturday, an occupant of a particular house, who had been suspecting him, caught him before he escaped.

Ajibade said, “Some years back, he was caught with the same act , but he escaped. He used to disguise like a vigilante. And when people on the street asked him where he watches over?  He would respond that he watches over the second street and since then, we have been monitoring his movement.

“Due to the residents’ inquisitive manner, he ran away then. He was later caught after a hot chase by residents.

“About 2 to 3 months ago, he resurfaced again in the same environment. When he came then, nobody knew him as a resident in the area.

“On Wednesday midnight, he broke into a house, removed the burglary window, and stole phones, money and some foodstuffs. And since then, the residents in the area have been vigilant. People started to suspect his movement and didn’t sleep with their two eyes closed, byjust to catch him.

“On that fateful midnight he was apprehended, he came to that same house he had successfully robbed before. But unluckily for him, without a prior notice, residents within the area apprehended him. He later attacked some of the residents who pinned him down.

“Some residents in that house, were able to recognize him,. So, they approached him and challenged him that he was the person that used to come and steal phones, but he denied.

“Everyone in the house came out en masse that night to see the serial burglar who had been terrorizing their houses.

“Some instruments found with him included, hammer, chisel, knife, plier and wheel spanner.”

Our correspondent gathered that the suspect was admitted to the General Hospital in Ore, after he sustained injuries in the cause of beating while the matter was reported to the Police in Ore.