Police dismissed three officers for robbery in Ogun State

Kangmwa GofwenJanuary 31, 20242 Mins read171

The Ogun State Police Command has dismissed three police officers for allegedly being involved in armed robbery around the Ijebu-Ode area of the state.

The dismissed officers include Inspector Taiwo Kolawole with Force Number AP/No 341113, Inspector John Ogbe with Force Number AP/No 309292 and Cpl Idowu Sunday with Force Number 513707, all attached to the Ijebu-Ife Division, in Ijebu East Local Government Area of the state.

The State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, disclosed this while briefing newsmen over the success of the state command in fighting crime and criminalities at its Eleweran headquarters, Abeokuta.

Explaining what led to the dismissal of the three officers, he said one Kashimao Emmanuel, of Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijebu-Ode, on January 12, reported that while he was driving, the now dismissed policemen stopped him and ordered him to transfer N312,000.00 to an Opay account number 9097829766.

“On 12/01/2024, at about 0845 hrs, one Kashimao Emmanuel ‘M’ of TASUED Ijebu-Ode, reported at the station that while he was driving in his Toyota Venza car, with Reg No. LSD 813 EX, brown in colour, he came across a gang of four armed men, one of them was putting on a Police round neck camouflage, while 3 others were on mufti.

“They demanded for his phone, which he calmly declined. In the process, one of them fired a shot into the air and that was when he complied.

“They entered into his car and took him away towards Sagamu expressway, on getting to Ososa, they made a u-turn to Ijebu-Ode, where a sum of three hundred and twelve thousand naira was forcefully transferred from his account to an Opay account no. 9097829766,” he said.

Alamutu said the DPO called the OPAY number and ordered him not to release the money transferred to him to anyone after discovering the number belonged to a Point of Service (POS) operator.

“The DPO then gave instructions that on no account should the POS operator give out the money transferred to him to anyone who comes for it. Moreso, the operator should tactically delay anyone who comes for the money pending his arrival.

“On getting to the POS shop at Ibadan garage, one Force No 513707 Cpl Idowu Sunday attached to Ijebu-Ife was met waiting to cash the money and was promptly arrested,” he said.

The Commissioner said during the investigation, two other complainants who were victims at various times identified the men to have earlier robbed them of their belongings in the same manner.

The dismissed men were paraded alongside a suspected Black Axe cultist, Ibrahim, who was paraded in connection with a series of kidnappings and armed robberies in Ijebu Ode and its environs. Alamutu said the officers would be charged to court soon.