The Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force,
Adeniji-Adele Street, Lagos, on Monday paraded a chief of the All
Progressives
Congress in Ekiti State, Itunnu Odeyemi, and eight others,
saying they were notorious for snatching exotic cars in the country.
The police said Odeyemi was also an APC Local Government Area executive in Efon-Alaaye, Ekiti State.
Other members of the nine-man gang are Omoniyi Ajewole, Oluseye
Jacob, Oluwadamiliare Rasaki, Ajisafe Olawale, Ogunniyi Sunday, Tolani
Babatunde, Abubakar Umar, and Ayodeji Olumudi.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, said the suspects
were arrested after a victim, who was robbed of two vehicles and other
valuables on June 27, 2013 in Ile-Ife, Osun State, reported to the
police. He added that the case was later transferred to the FSARS.
It was gathered that the arrest of Ajewole, a 28-year-old man from
Ilesha, Osun State, had led to the arrest of other members of the gang
which included Odeyemi, who Ajewole also claimed was his political
godfather.
While speaking with journalists, Odeyemi denied being a member of
the gang. He said he provided Ajewole with a locally-made gun, which the
police have recovered, to protect him during the period of the recently
concluded governorship election in Ekiti State.
He said, “Omoniyi (Ajewole) is my political thug. I brought him to
my place and gave him a gun to secure me. I have never participated in
any robbery operation, but he used to escort me with the gun. Having an
escort was part of the gains of being a political leader. All APC
leaders were working for the government during the election.
“Every political party, including ours has factions. That was why I
gave him the gun, so that he could always protect me wherever I went. I
also told him to be with me, particularly as the Ekiti election was
approaching then. I had seen the gun on the ground during the 2007
elections violence in the state and had kept it.”
Ajewole, who was first caught by the police, confessed during
interrogation that he had been working as a political thug for the APC
chieftain.
He said, “He had given me the gun to use in protecting him during
campaign violence. But I had not yet used the gun before I was arrested
in September 2013. I am not a robber. I prefer to be called a political
thug. I was the only one the honourable (Odeyemi) gave the gun, and he
also paid me salary.”
Our correspondent learnt that after the arrest of the gang, the
FSARS were able to recover 17 stolen cars in different parts of the
country, most of which were Toyota and Honda brands. Three assorted guns
were also recovered from them.
Mba said the suspects would soon be arraigned in court.
He said, “This is a case that started on June 27, 2013 when a
Nigerian was robbed of two vehicles and other valuables and he reported
the incident to the police. This arrest is one of the achievements of
the FSARS. It led to the arrest of nine suspects who were clearly linked
with not just the armed robbery reported, but a series of such in the
country.
“An interesting aspect of the arrest is that Ajewole confessed to
the police that he was not an armed robber, but also a political thug
working for Odeyemi Itunnu from Efon Alaaye, Ekiti State. We want to
warn politicians to steer clear of actions that are capable of posing a
threat to the security of the country.”
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