Lauretta Fagbohun
Abeokuta
Operatives of the Ewekoro Division of the Ogun State Police Command have foiled a robbery operation at a student hostel in the Eruku/Agbon area of the state, arresting two suspects and recovering 11 smartphones and a laptop.
The suspects, identified as Waris Dauda and Tiamiyu Abiodun, were arrested at about 2:40am following a distress call reporting that an armed gang was robbing students at the hostel.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, saying operatives led by the Divisional Police Officer were immediately deployed to the scene.
According to him, the suspects fled upon sighting the police and abandoned a school bag containing the stolen items. The pursuing officers subsequently arrested two members of the gang.
A search of the abandoned bag, Babaseyi said, produced 11 assorted iPhones, one HP laptop and several items of clothing. He added that the victims had identified the recovered property as theirs.
The police spokesperson further disclosed that preliminary investigations showed that the robbers allegedly forced one of the victims to transfer N200,000 into an account during the operation.
He said efforts were ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the gang and identify the owner of the beneficiary account. Searches conducted at the suspects’ residences yielded no additional incriminating items.
Babaseyi said the suspects and recovered property would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation and prosecution.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, commended the Ewekoro operatives for their vigilance and swift response, assuring students and residents of the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across the state.
The command also urged operators of off-campus student hostels and landlords to maintain emergency contact numbers and promptly report suspicious activities through the Gateway Shield Toll-Free Line.
