A traffic warden with the Nigeria Police, Haruna Yusuf (38) has been arrested alongside six others by the Osun state police command for alleged cultism and unlawful possession of firearms.
The co-suspects are: Tajudeen Olalekan (23) aka Rector, Chukwudi Eze (33), Alebo Israel (26), Alebo Israel (32), Abimbola Olanipekun (42) and Olarinre Abiodun (39).
The suspects who were paraded along with exhibits allegedly recovered from them, Osun State Commissioner of Police, Olawale Olokode, said “one Lekan Tajudeen ‘m’ aka Rector, resident of Ilorin in kwara State, the Leader of Aye Confraternity secret cult group in one of the tertiary institutions in Kwara State is in possession of Firearms. The police operative went after him and having noticed that police were on his trail, he ran to Ede in Osun State to hibernate.
“The police extended its investigation to Ede town and he was subsequently apprehended with one English Beretta Pistol with two rounds of live ammunition.
“However, the suspect claimed to have bought the pistol from one Eze Chukwudi ‘m’ through one Olarinre Abioudun aka Yeukeu at the rate of one hundred and eighty thousand naira (N180,000), which he has been using for his criminal acts.
“His confession eventually led to the arrest of Eze Chukwudi ‘m’ who also confessed that he bought another locally made revolver pistol with five live ammunition at the rate of Sixty thousand naira (N60,000) and also the armourer of the Aye Confraternity secret cult group in Omu-Aran, Kwara State.
“He also stated to have kept the above arms with one Elijah Alebo and Israel Alebo of Igandu Street, Omu-Aran in Kwara State. Upon interrogation, the said Eze Chukwudi ‘m’ confessed that he bought the said English Beretta Pistol and locally made revolver pistol at the rate of Sixty thousand naira (N60,000) each from one Haruna Yusuf ‘m’ a serving Traffic Warden Officer (GI) attached to Omu-Aran Police Divisional Headquarters, Kwara State Command.
“Meanwhile, the said Traffic Warden Officer, Haruna Yusuf ‘m’ confessed that he stole the English Beretta Pistol from one late Insp Ehigimetor Ileso (his former station officer) of the aforementioned Police Divisional Headquarters sometimes in January, 2019 and that the late Insp died as a result of his dismissal from the force based on the missing pistol.
“The Traffic Warden will be tried administratively before prosecution. All the suspects confessed to the crime and will be charged to court accordingly after the completion of the investigation.”
The exhibits recovered from the suspects include a Police English Beretta Pistol, one locally made Revolver Pistol, two locally fabricated pistols, one cut to size gun, 11 live cartridges, three different battle axes and one cutlass.
