‘We thought fleeing robbery gang leader was a Yahoo boy,’ suspects arrested by Oyo Amotekun say

A native doctor, Abdullahi (surname withheld), who was recently arrested by the operatives of the Oyo State Command of the Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN), codenamed Amotekun, in Ibadan, has denied being a member of a robbery gang, but admitted that the gang members kept looted items in his residence after their operation.

He also confirmed that the suspected gang leader, known as Okanlawon Olayinka, whom he thought was a Yahoo boy, used to come to him to get concoction for spiritual favour (eyonu).

Abdullahi and one other suspect, Abimbola (surname withheld), were apprehended by Amotekun Corps less than two hours after an armed robbery operation at Liberty Academy area of the capital city.

The Operation Officer, Amotekun Corps, Oyo State, Mogaji Kazeem Babalola Akinro, who spoke on how the suspects were arrested, told Sunday Tribune: “We received a report at about 10 p.m. on Thursday, November 6 that armed robbers, five in number, were operating at an apartment at Liberty Academy area in Ibadan.

“The armed robbers moved to another street and did same before leaving after what they believed was a successful operation.

“On receiving the report, we swiftly moved to the scene. Some of the robbery victims had their phones and other items taken away, including a Toyota Highlander SUV, plasma TV, and game.

“We started tracking their movement to the Kobomoje area where we arrested two suspects. We also recovered items looted from the ransacked apartments and a vehicle, a Toyota Highlander SUV parked within the premises of one of the apartments.”

Found in the recovered vehicle was a cutlass, believed to be one of the weapons used by the armed robbers during their operation.

The Amotekun Operation Officer disclosed that one of the arrested suspects was alleged to be the gang’s native doctor, who received them on their return from the robbery operation and kept the stolen items.

“He was the one who led us to the second suspect, whom he said is a friend to the armed robbery gang leader,” Babalola stated.

Narrating how the items looted during the robbery operation were found in his house, Abdullahi stated: “At about 1:30 a.m., on Friday, November 6, I saw these guys (armed robbers) banging my door. I opened it and saw them looking wild. It was evident that they were armed robbers.  They told me about the robbery operation they went to. I told them they could not stay with me, but I couldn’t attack them because of the weapons they had with them.”

He said that Amotekun Corps found a cutlass in the vehicle the armed robbers stole from one of the apartments they invaded, while they also brought the plasma TV and game (PlayStation) to his residence.

Continuing, the suspect said: “Before the incident, people had been telling me that the gang leader, Okanlawon, is an armed robber. He used to come from Lagos every Sunday to our neighbourhood and return some days after. I even thought that he was a Yahoo boy.

“Three of them came to my house. I believe they knew that their robbery operation had been exposed, and they could not move with their loot. They didn’t allow me to say anything. They just hid the items in different places in my apartment. During a search by the Amotekun operatives, the looted phones were found hidden in the ceiling.

He said that the second suspect, Abimbola, was found in one of the rooms in the house he lives, adding that he knew the gang leader, Okanlawon, through him.

“Every Sunday, Okanlawon used to come to Ibadan with Abimbola. They would come to me to take concoctions (eyonu). I would put it on their palms and they would lick it. The highest Okanlawon paid me for consultation was N5,000.”

The second suspect, Abimbola, aged 30, also denied being a member of the robbery gang or having knowledge of their criminal activities. According to him, “I sell marijuana to smokers. I knew Okanlawon about two years ago. He used to buy marijuana from me. He would come from Lagos and return after three days.

“In the early hours of Friday, November 6, I was woken up when Amotekun operatives came to the house I slept in. The female complainants were asked to identify if I was among the armed robbers, but they said I was not. It was the native doctor who told the Amotekun operatives that Okanlawon was my customer and friend. I didn’t know Okanlawon was into armed robbery. I thought he was a Yahoo boy. He told me he was a plumber.”

The manager of Aresa Court Apartments, where the robbery took place, Mr Ayodeji Ojelabi, told Sunday Tribune: “I was called a few minutes to 12 midnight on November 6 that armed robbers were operating. The landlord who called me said that the armed robbers also went away with a vehicle parked in the house opposite Aresa Court Apartments. I was told that Amotekun Corps were called and they had pursued the criminals.

“We had lodgers in our apartments that day, and the armed robbers collected their phones. They took away the apartment TV, PlayStation belonging to one of the lodgers, and also power banks.”

Also, the relative of the occupants of the house where the vehicle was stolen by the armed robbers, Mr Kayode Adepoju, narrated:  “I was called by my brother-in-law at about 12:30 a.m. that armed robbers were in his family house and had stolen the vehicle parked within the compound. My sister and her husband rented an apartment where they stay whenever they come to Nigeria from abroad. They usually put the car key on a shelf in the house when travelling back abroad.

“At daybreak, I went to the place and saw the damage they caused by pushing another vehicle to break the gate of my brother-in-law’s and sister’s house. Later, my in-law called me to say that the vehicle had been recovered by Amotekun Corps.”

He commended the prompt response of Amotekun Corps which made the armed robbers uncomfortable and thwarted the attempt to escape with the loot.

It was learnt that the two suspects have been transferred to the Nigeria Police Force, Oyo State Command for further investigation.