14th August, 2022
By Olajide Idowu
Operatives of the Osun Police Command have arrested Akintunde Joy, an ex-convict, who had allegedly been breaking into shops in Ede town and stealing from shop owners.
This is contained in a statement by its spokesperson, SP Yemisi Opalola, on Saturday.
The 22-year-old suspect was arrested after Akinkunmi Oyekola, a cellphones shop owner in Ede reported that his shop was severally robbed.
“A case of conspiracy, armed robbery, burglary and stealing was reported at ‘A’ Divisional Police Headquarter, Ede.
”Preliminary investigation was carried out before it was transferred to anti-vice intelligence squad on July 26.
“The complainant, one Akinkumi Oyekola reported that since March 2022, his shop had been repeatedly broken into and items worth millions of naira carted away,” she said
Opalola said police investigation led to the arrest of the suspect who claimed to be a student in one of the higher institutions in the state.
She added that when the suspect was arrested, one of the iPhones stolen from the store of the complainant was recovered from him.
Investigations revealed that the suspect is an ex-convict who got jail time in 2018 at the Ile-Ife correctional centre before he was released after serving a one-year jail term.
However, the suspect continued with his nefarious acts after his release and in the course of interrogation, he confessed to being responsible for the alleged crimes he was arrested for.
“He confessed that himself and others at large, sometime in March, broke into the shop of the complainant, located at no. 4, Polytechnic Road, Ede, at midnight and carted away different types of cell phones valued at N3.8 million.
“He said on April 27 again, they robbed the same shop again, where they tied the night guard and went away with mobile phones worth N29 million,” she said.
Opalola said the suspect and his accomplices again, on May 29, robbed Oyekola’s shop for the third time and stole mobile phones valued at about N1.2million.
In addition to robbing Oyetola’s shop multiple times, the suspect also confessed to robbing about nine other stores in Ede.
Meanwhile, the exhibits recovered from him had been identified by their respective owners.
Opalola said the suspect would be charged to court as soon as the investigation is concluded.
NAN