LAUTECH student, 15 others arrested for alleged robbery, cultism

The Police in Oyo State on Thursday said it had arrested 16 suspects, including an accounting student of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, over alleged armed robbery, cultism and conspiracy.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Shina Olukolu, disclosed this while briefing newsmen of the command’s activities at the police headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan.

Olukolu said that the suspects were believed to be the criminals terrorising people of the state in the last few weeks.

He assured that the officers and men of the command were to ensure that they rid the state of criminal elements.

He said that the arrested LAUTECH student had confessed to being a member of illegal Eiye secret confraternity in the institution and had been unleashing mayhem on members of the public and students.

Olukolu said that operatives of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) arrested the student following a tip-off on June 6 at about 7.30 p.m. in Aroje area, Ogbomoso.

“The suspect had been on the wanted list of the police for involvement in series of criminal activities and a team of SARs operative on patrol swung into action after getting the information about him and was arrested.

“Two locally-made pistols, four live cartridges, one knife and a cutlass were recovered from him.

“Investigation is now in progress to arrest other members of his cult gang,” he said.

It was learnt that among the suspects were two who allegedly hypnotized one Mary Ajayi and collected N1.4 million from her while on the way to a bank at Dugbe area.

The commissioner said that Ajayi was sent by her boss to deposit the money in the bank when the suspect approached her, hypnotized her and collected the cash from her.

According to him, the suspects thereafter took their victim to Inalende area of Ibadan and inflicted several injuries all over her body and locked her inside a room.

He said that the victim was rescued by the police through information provided by public “and the suspects were arrested’’.

Olukolu said that a Toyota Camry car and other items bought with the money were recovered from the suspects.

He commended the public for constantly providing police with credible information that had led to the arrest of criminal elements in the state.