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Offa: Police Arrest SUG Vice President, Others For Cultism


The Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr Aminu Saleh, on Tuesday said the police had arrested the Vice President of the Federal Polytechnic Offa Students’ Union Government.

The Police Commissioner said the VP, Tajudeen Selim, was arrested for alleged involvement in cultism in Offa Poly, in the Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State.

He added that other Offa poly students – Temitope  Omotosho, Adewusi Vincent –  an ex-student of Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, Olanipekun Abimbola, and another suspect, Ayomide Ololade, were arrested for alleged involvement in cultism.

Saleh spoke through the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Ajayi Okasanmi, while parading the suspect in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

He lamented that despite the alarm the police raised on the plans by cults to mark the cultism day on Saturday, the suspects ignored the warning and were initiating new members of the Aiye Confraternity when the police apprehended them.

He said, “These cultists from the Federal Polytechnic Offa blatantly refused to heed our warning and were rounded up by the Anti-Cultism Unit of the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, during the process of initiating new members in preparation for an attack.”

The CP identified the new initiates as Akinsebikan George and Gbolahan Ogunleye, adding that the red and white regalia of Aiye Confraternity, razor blade, calabash and one live cartridge were recovered from the suspects.

But Selim, who is a HND year-two student in the Department of Quantity  Surveying, said he was not a cultist, claiming that he had gone to settle some problems among the arrested suspects when the police nabbed him too.

He said, “Someone came here to accuse us that we are cultists. Since I became the Vice President of the Offa Polytechnic Students’ Union Government, I have not recorded any cult clash. I have always been there to settle any problem that could  arise. If there is any fracas in the school, the Students’ Union Government would direct me to intervene. That is the reason why I was there.

“I was there the day they arrested the suspected cultists on behalf of the union so that there will be peace on our campus.”

The CP also said the police arrested some suspected armed robbers who allegedly confessed to have been armed by a former governor of Kogi State.

The police boss stated that the suspects confessed that the politician armed them with guns during electioneering.

Saleh also said sequel to reports of robberies received from some fuel stations in Ilorin and its environs, the members of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team in collaboration with the federal and state Anti-Robbery Squads of the command, arrested one James Obaje, aged 34.

According to the police commissioner, Obaje who is  a native of Dekina in the Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, confessed to being the leader of a gang of armed robbers and also a lieutenant of  Zakari Yau, a political thug in Kogi State presently in police custody.

He added that Obaje’s confession led to the arrest of other members of his gang who had attacked many fuel stations in Kaduna, Kogi and Kwara state, as well as Abuja.

He listed other suspects to include  Nelson Yakubu,  Ibrahim Mutari, and  Gboyega Olaoye.

He said, “All suspects are from Kogi State, but resides in Ilorin, except Gbenga Olaoye, who is from Ekiti LGA of Kwara State. Exhibits recovered from the suspects include three AK-47 riffles, one K2 riffle, one pump action riffle, 311 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, 286 rounds of 5.56mm live ammunition, one Blue Mazda 626 with number plate,  KEY 627 DS, and many vehicle plate numbers

“The suspects further confessed to the robbery attack on Orange Fuel Station in Ilorin on May 15, 2018. Efforts are ongoing to arrest the remaining members of the gang.”

The CP also said Osuolale Gabriel, Wasiu Gambari, Suleiman Obalosun, and  Adullahi Olowo were arrested for suspected criminal conspiracy, being in possession of  illicit hard drug, unlawful possession of firearms and allegedly being members of a cult.

He said exhibits recovered from the suspects included a sack containing substance suspected to be hemp, two cut-to-size guns, one cartridge, an axe, a saw blade, three knives and photographs.

Saleh said. “Also, on June 20, one Musbau Akosile, who disguised himself as a carpenter, was arrested and a locally-made cut-to-size barrel gun with one live cartridge was recovered from him. He confessed that he purchased the gun from one Azeez  Mustapha and  Yusuf Abdullahi.

“They were accordingly tracked and arrested, and in the course of further investigation, two other locally-made cut-to-size guns and one expended cartridge were found with them.”

The CP said the suspects would be charged to court.

Culled from PUNCH.

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