The police in Ogun have arrested members of an armed robbery gang, who confessed to killing no fewer than 25 security operatives since 2011 in states in South-West Nigeria.
The Police Commissioner in the state, Okoye Ikemefuna, showed three members of the gang to reporters in Abeokuta, whom he said were arrested on Friday at the Obele area of the state.
“Our officers who acted on a tip-off stormed the area which is a border town between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin at around 3 p.m. on Friday.
‘’On reaching there, the gang members opened fire at the team and the team returned fire-for-fire and killed three of the robbers while three were arrested and the others escaped.
‘’Efforts are, however, going on to arrest the fleeing gang members. The lady among them is the most deadly. She was the one shooting at the SARS men,” the police boss said.
Ammunition recovered from the gang according to Okoye, include two AK 47 riffles, a Wealthier P.22 pistol with 49 rounds of live ammunition and two cut-to-size double barrel guns
He said the police also recovered 100 rounds of live AK 47 ammunition, 55 live cartridges, assorted charms and two packets of Lexomil tablets.
The gang members were said to be allies of a robbery king-pin, Abiodun Egunjobi, popularly known as Godogodo, who was recently arrested in Lagos.
Okoye said that the gang members had confessed to killing the former South-West Coordinator and Ogun State Commander of Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO), Yomi Bamgbose, in 2011.
He said the suspects would be charged to court as soon as the police concluded investigations.
The leader of the gang, Adegoke Kasali, who is physically challenged, due to burns he claimed to have sustained since his childhood, said he regretted his involvement in crime.
“This is the work of the devil. I cannot understand why I am into armed robbery. It is beyond my comprehension.
‘’I have lost count of the number of policemen I have personally killed but they cannot be less than seven.
‘’I was also part of the gang that killed the four vigilance service men and three petrol attendants in Ifo. That day we operated with Godogodo.
‘’Godogodo was our boss and he hated seeing policemen. We also killed two people at the Baptist Church in Sango Ota.
‘’I want to advise those still engaged in armed robbery to give up the profession as it will surely lead to destruction,’’ he said.