The Ekiti State Police Command has recorded major breakthroughs against violent crime, cattle rustling, child exploitation and theft, with the arrest of several suspects and the recovery of stolen vehicles, 558 rustled cattle, MTN registration devices worth millions of naira and other incriminating items.
Commissioner of Police in the state, Joseph Eribo, disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists at the command headquarters in Ado-Ekiti, saying the successes were products of intelligence-led policing and sustained onslaught against criminal elements.
Eribo said, “To ensure the sustainability of the peaceful atmosphere currently enjoyed by citizens and residents of Ekiti State, the command under my leadership has continued to embark on intelligence-driven and ground-breaking operations.”
According to him, within the period under review, five suspects were arrested for conspiracy and armed robbery, 17 for cattle rustling, five for running an illegal baby factory and child exploitation, while others were picked up during raids on criminal hideouts across the state.
He revealed that police operatives recovered 558 rustled cattle, seven stolen vehicles, 10 fabricated master keys, three different vehicle plate numbers, large quantities of new clothes, food items and other valuables.
On the arrest of a car-snatching gang, the police commissioner said the Rapid Response Squad cracked a four-man syndicate terrorising residents through car theft.
“One Uzobo Friday Agomatiro was arrested after he and his gang intercepted a Toyota Corolla at gunpoint along Ekute Street and drove it away. During investigation, he confessed and mentioned other gang members, while fabricated master keys were found on him,” Eribo said.
He added that further searches led to the recovery of more master keys, solar panels and fake number plates, while two other suspects, Lawal Kudirat and Agomatiro Dennis, were arrested with two stolen vehicles.
The police boss said investigations also led to the arrest of two master key fabricators in Ilumoba-Ekiti, who confessed to producing 29 master keys for the gang, while additional stolen vehicles were recovered in Ado-Ekiti and Emure-Ekiti.
In a related development, Eribo announced the arrest of Ibrahim Abubakar, described as a notorious cattle rustler and kidnapping kingpin who had been on the wanted list of Ekiti, Kwara and Kogi states.
“He confessed to rustling cattle across the three states over the years, and 255 rustled cattle were recovered from him,” the commissioner said.
The command also arrested 16 suspected cattle rustlers in a forest around Isan-Ekiti, recovering 303 cattle from them. Police investigations later revealed that the earlier arrested Ibrahim Abubakar was the gang leader.
On burglary and armed robbery, Eribo said operatives intercepted an ash-coloured Honda Element along Iworoko-Ado Road, leading to the arrest of one Ogekore Tiresimi Tosin.
“The suspect confessed to burgling shops across Erijiyan, Ilawe, Aramoko, Ilumoba, Ikole and Oye-Ekiti. He led operatives to hideouts in Kogi and Kwara states, where stolen goods, an unregistered Opel Vectra and a Nissan bus were recovered,” he said.
The police commissioner also disclosed the dismantling of an illegal baby factory in Ikere-Ekiti, where a 43-year-old woman and four accomplices were arrested.
“Six children between the ages of two and nine, reasonably suspected to be under bondage and exploitation, were rescued from the premises,” Eribo said, adding that medical items and drugs were recovered at the scene.
In another operation, police arrested four suspects over the theft of 12 MTN SIM registration devices valued at about N13 million from the telecom company’s office in Ado-Ekiti. Eight of the devices were recovered, while efforts are ongoing to retrieve the remaining ones.
Eribo further revealed that a Toyota Camry suspected to have been stolen was intercepted during a stop-and-search operation, noting that the driver is currently under investigation.
“All the suspects arrested will be charged to court immediately investigations are concluded,” he assured.
The commissioner commended Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, for his support to the police, as well as the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, for boosting officers’ morale through strategic initiatives.
While assuring residents of sustained clampdown on crime, Eribo urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to the nearest police station or through the emergency line 08062335577.
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