By Habeeb Ibrahim
Ogun State Police Command has apprehended two brothers; Femi (43) and Kayode (41) Fagbohun over the alleged kidnap, robbery and rape of a 17-year-old girl.
The arrest followed a distressing series of events that began when the young victim, traveling from Lekki, Lagos to Abeokuta, fell into the clutches of the criminals.
According to SP Omolola Odutola, the spokesperson for the Ogun Police Command, the victim boarded an online ride service, a Toyota Camry with registration number EKP 352AE, on her journey. As she approached Deeper Life Church Lotto in Mowe, the ride took a dangerous turn.
The vehicle abruptly stopped, and another man entered the car, brandishing a broken bottle and threatening her life if she made any attempt to raise an alarm.
The driver then proceeded to an undisclosed location, where the victim was informed that she had been kidnapped. She was forced to call her boyfriend, Akinwale Williams, who transferred N200,000 to an account belonging to Awanatu Hamzat Adejoke. In addition to this, the assailants forcibly took N50,000 in cash and an iPhone 13 Pro Max valued at approximately N840,000 from her.
After the robbery, the victim was taken to a remote area near Omu Junction, Ofada, where she was raped. Following her escape, she reported the incident to the Mowe Police Division.
Detectives traced her stolen phone to one Tunde Ajayi, who led investigators to Kayode Fagbohun in Oke Sioni Imedu and subsequently to his brother, Femi. Upon interrogation, both brothers confessed to their involvement in the crime and revealed that they had sold the vehicle used in the commission of the offenses. Police recovered an unregistered blue Toyota Camry from the suspects.
In response to the alarming nature of the crime, SP Odutola, has issued an urgent safety advisory to women using ride-hailing services like Uber, through her social Media platform, X (formerly Twitter).
Odutola advised that before boarding any ride, passengers, especially women, should take a picture of the driver and the vehicle and send it to their local Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for safety.
The case has been forwarded to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation and potential prosecution.
