An 83-year old arms dealer, Chief Kogbona, has been arrested by the Ondo State Police Command in connection with the gruesome killing of a commercial motorcyclist, Nwike Sabbat, aged 25, in Ondo town.
The deceased, who had set out on his routine hustle, was allegedly waylaid by three suspects, Adeife Adewumi, Matthew Johnson, and Diisu Sunday, who murdered him and made away with his motorcycle.
Acting on intelligence, operatives of the Tactical Intelligence Response Squad swiftly apprehended the three suspects, who later confessed to the heinous crime.
Further investigation led detectives to the octogenarian arms supplier, whose residence was searched, yielding ten live cartridges. Police authorities said the recovery confirmed his role in arming the killers.
Addressing journalists at the Command Headquarters in Akure, the Commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Lawal, described the breakthrough as one of the most disturbing revelations from the Command’s August operations.
“This case reflects our determination not just to arrest perpetrators but to dismantle the entire chain that sustains violent crimes, including the illegal supply of arms,” the CP stated.
The arrest formed part of a larger crackdown on criminal elements across the state, which in August alone led to the apprehension of no fewer than 100 suspects involved in armed robbery, murder, kidnapping, cultism, fraud, and theft.
In another operation in Owo, police moved to curb cult-related clashes that had unsettled residents of Isuada community.
Acting on credible intelligence, officers of B’ Division stormed suspected hideouts and arrested two members of the dreaded Aye cult group.
The suspects, identified as Adams Precious (25) and Kayode Alana (26), were subsequently handed over to the Anti-Cultism Section for further investigation.
Their arrest, CP Lawal said, had brought relief to residents who had been subjected to fear and unrest due to repeated cult clashes in the area.
While attributing the success of the operations to the dedication of his men, the strategic directives of the Inspector General of Police, and the cooperation of residents, CP Lawal assured that investigations into ongoing cases would be pursued to prosecution in competent courts.
“Our mission remains clear, to make Ondo State unsafe for criminals and peaceful for law-abiding citizens,” he declared.
(Source: The Hope)
