By Boluwatife Adedokun
Three suspects who allegedly raped and robbed some female students of Kwara State University, KWASU, Malete have been arrested by Police Detective from Kwara State Command today.
According to a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ajayi Okasanmi, he said the students lodged complaints that they were robbed in their hostel at Malete, on Friday, October 7, 2022.
The names of the three suspected robbers are; Ridwan Abdulfatai (20), Ibrahim Akorede (25) and Aliyu Apalado (25) all from the Oke Fomo area, Ilorin.
The statement read thus,“Due to reports of armed robbery/rape cases recieved by Malete Divisional Police headquarters from attacked students and residents of Malete, a University town in Kwara State, the Commissioner of Police, Cp Paul Odama, pursuant to his earlier assertion that lawlessness of whatever nomenclature would not be allowed in Kwara State, while in office as the commissioner of police in the state.
“He set up a crack team of detectives comprising the anti-cultists, anti-kidnapping, anti-robbery and personnel of Malete Division with the mandate to break the suspects foothold and bring the culprits to justice.
“In carrying out the directive of the CP after receiving another report of an armed robbery attack from the trio of Adebayo Omolade ‘F’, Adeyeye Adebola ‘F’ and Babatunde Hellen ‘F’ all 400L students of Kwara State University, Malete that at about 03:30am of October 7, 2022, they were all robbed at their hostel called ‘Downtown’ hostel by armed hoodlums and their property forcefully carted away.”
“While approaching the suspected hideout of the gang, the team was sighted by the hoodlums and the armed robbers took to their heels, one Ridwan Abdulfatai ‘M’ aged 20yrs, from Oke Fomo Ilorin was arrested by the detectives.
While interrogating the suspects, one confessed that he is the leader of a robbery gang tormenting the Malete community and its environs, stating also that he is a jail bird.
“He led the investigators to effect the arrest of two other members of the gang, namely, Ibrahim Ridwan Akorede ‘M’ 25yrs of Oke Fomo area of Ilorin, and Aliyu Abubakar Apalado ‘M’ 25yrs, they all confessed to the crimes.
“The investigation also led to the recovery of the following items snatched on gun points during some of their operations; one locally made gun, one jack knife and charms,11 generators, two motorcycles, one small size fridge, one standing fan and one pumping machine.
“19 iPhone, six handsets, three iPhone11 handsets, 16 iPhone 6 plus, five iPhone XR and other brands telephone handsets altogether totalling 87 handsets, 10 Laptops and two Television sets.”
Okasanmi noted that they were making effort to arrest the remaining members of the gang, stating that the Police Commissioner had vouched to charge the suspects to court after they conclude the Investigation.
Meanwhile, the Police boss warned the criminals in the state to relocate from the place or they land in jail, adding that “no stone would be left unturned in ensuring that Kwara State, a state of harmony remains truly, a state of harmony.”
He thereby urged members of the public to keep them abreast of everything going on in their area as they could not work in isolation of the members of the society and promised to operate an open door policy in line with the spirit and letter of community policing.
