Five arrested for stealing, vandalising transformers in Ogun

Ogun State police command on Thursday said that its officers attached to Igbeba Division, Ijebu-Ode has arrested five suspects who allegedly specialised in the burglary of shops, stealing of amour cables, and vandalisation of transformers within Ijebu-Ode and its environs.

Those arrested were 32-year-old Emmanuel also known as Ozon living at Emurin Ijebu Ode, Samuel Sunday Idoko aged 39 from Iwesi Street, Ijebu Ode, 21-year-old Tolulope Ilesanmi from No4, Ilepa Street, Ilese Ijebu, 29-year-old Sanusi Daniel from Epe, Lagos State, and Ogunkoya Victor aged 20 from Ijagun Road, Ijebu Ode

The spokesperson of the state police command, Superintendent of Police, Omolola Odutola, disclosed this in a statement sent to journalists on Thursday.

Odutola said officers at the division said that there had been complaints from victims of shop burglary who were still counting their losses due to items stolen from an electronic shop sometime in September and several other similar incidents in October.

She said that the police had also been inundated with complaints, ranging from stealing of cables, vandalisation of transformers, and theft of property from houses after the residents had gone to work.

Odutola said “However, on the 4th of October, 2024, at about 8:30 pm, the police at Igbeba Police Station received information regarding a member of a syndicate involved in burglarising shops and stealing AMOR cable wires from transformers in Ijebu Ode and surrounding areas.

“These suspected burglars who had been evading arrest were identified and spotted at the Ijebu Ilese Toll Gate.

“Acting on this information, a team of detectives promptly responded and apprehended the first suspect, Emmanuel M., also known as “Ozon,” a 32-year-old resident of Emurin Ijebu Ode.

“During questioning, Emmanuel confessed to being part of the burglary syndicate and provided information that led to the arrest of a second suspect, Samuel Sunday Idoko, a 39-year-old from Iwesi Street, Ijebu Ode. The third suspect is Tolulope Ilesanmi, a 21-year-old from No. 4 Ilepa Street, Ilese Ijebu. The fourth suspect, Sanusi Daniel, is a 29-year-old living near a primary school in Epe, Lagos, and the fifth suspect is Ogunkoya Victor, also known as “Emo,” a 20-year-old from Gloria School, Iyana Cele, Ijagun Road, Ijebu Ode.”

These suspects were said to have allegedly confessed to breaking into the electronics store owned by Anayo Sunday James at Bobadara Junction, Igbeba Road, Ijebu Ode, on February 20, 2024, as well as stealing AMOR cable wires from transformers on Igbeba Road and other locations in Ijebu Ode.

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The police revealed that during a search of Idoko’s residence, burglary tools including an iron cutter, drilling machine, cutting machine, hammer, screwdriver, and iron chisel were found in his residence

The suspects are said to be currently undergoing further interrogation, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining fugitives and recover additional stolen items.