16th March, 2013
Abiodun Onafuye/ Abeokuta
A two month old baby, her mother, a senior secondary 3 student in Abeokuta, in the western Nigerian state of Ogun, and a female teenager, also member of the same family were among those paraded by the state Police Command for robbery.
The baby’s mother, Fausat Adeosun was arrested for alleged involvement in robbery and death of no fewer than
five persons. Her husband, Ismail Adeosun, wanted badly by the police has escaped.
The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Ikemefuna Okoye, while parading the suspects said that another prime suspect, Musediq, now at large, and his other accomplices were behind the spate of robbery operations witnessed along Papalanto in Ogun State and Igboora axis of Oyo State.
Three other persons who are believed to be routine receivers of stolen vehicles from Musediq were equally paraded.
In an interview the 15 year-old SSS 3 student said he had no prior knowledge of the gang’s robbery activities but stressed that his brother’s wife, Fausat often told him to hide the weapons of the gang which included a pump action rifle when the Police came searching their house.
Ogun Police boss who paraded 30 suspects for various crimes said the four suspects were arrested by the police on Monday when his men stormed Ago-Ika, Abeokuta residence of the suspects where a locally made gun was recovered.
The Police Commissioner, however, said investigation had commenced, saying that as soon as it was concluded the suspects would be charged to court.
“This woman has been keeping gun for her husband and his 15-year-old brother is the armourer of the gang. The SSS 3 student is the armourer of the gang and Ismail’s wife has been keeping her husband’s arms and ammunition before luck ran out on them”, Ogun Police said.
While answering questions from journalists, the SSS3 student, lamented that they were being punished for the sin of his brother who is now at large,”it was my brother , Ismail that committed the offence, before they arrested all the family members including the two month old baby. Fausat has been keeping the gun for her husband, I was only brought to the scene to relocate the arms when the police invaded
the house.
“It was his wife who had been helping him to watch over his guns. That day when the police came, his wife, Fausat Adeosun called me to hide the gun behind a block beside the house, it was wrapped inside a cloth and when the police came, I told them everything and even took them to where the gun was hidden.
“At first I lied to the police because I was scared and I have never experienced such, I never knew my brother was a thief until that day”, the student revealed.
Fielding questions from newsmen, the suspect’s wife and the mother of the two months old baby , denied knowledge of her husband’s robbery business, maintaining that his husband, (Ismail) operates a film house in Igboora town in Oyo State.
Narrating her experience, Fausat said,” when I noticed that a gun was brought into the house, my husband threatened to kill me if I informed anybody about it. On Sunday, he came to me and I was away to church and I asked him whether he has removed his gun from my house because we don’t leave together but he said he and his friend, Danladi were around to pick the gun, I never knew he was a thief until he brought the gun to my house.
“He asked me whether I have told anybody and even threatened to kill me if I have informed anybody and that he will run away and leave me to suffer on his behalf, but I told him I never informed anyone”, she
narrated.
The woman further disclosed that the police came the following day to search their house and they requested for the gun from her. According to her, she told the police that the gun was in the custody of the student.
Also paraded were two fake soldiers fully decked in army uniform and 28 other suspects.
The fake soldiers claimed that they were dismissed soldiers.
The police said that the fake army officers were part of the robbery gang who specialised in using motorbike to rob people along the Mowe/Ibafo axis of the Lagos/ Ibadan expressway.