Metro

Police Arrest Suspected Armed Robbers, Car Thieves, Others In Osun

Published

2 years ago

February 12, 2024

The Police Command in Osun, on Monday, said it had arrested 20 suspects between November 2023 and February over alleged cable theft, armed robbery, kidnapping and membership of a secret society.

Mr Hope Okafor, Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Administration, who paraded the suspects at the Police Command Headquarters in Osogbo, said six of the suspects were arrested for armed robbery

“They also kidnapped one of their victim and alter IMEIs of stolen phones to evade police tracking.” she said

Okafor said the six suspects are: Seyi Ojo, 33, Kamorudeen Quadri, 32, Ogbemudia Sunday, 48, Fatai Toheeb, 22, David Adebayo, 43, and David Aderemi, 30.

She said Seyi Ojo and Kamorudeen Quadri were part of a gang that robbed a family at Ijebu Jesa on Nov. 31, 2023, and after their arrest investigations revealed that they also took part in robbing and kidnapping one Sarah Olomolatan of Araromi Street, Erin-Ijesa on Dec. 7, 2023.

The police chief said that investigation further revealed that one Sunday Ogbemudia received two vehicles, a Toyota Corolla and Highlander , from the suspects while the duo of David Adebayo and David Aderemi helped the suspects to change the IMEIs of the stolen phones.

She said that one Fatai Toheeb was also arrested after both Seyi Ojo and Kamorudeen Quadri fingered him for complicity in the robbery and kidnapping of Olomolatan.

Okafor said that one Ayodele Kehinde, 39, who was arrested on Nov. 31, at Yidi Area, Ilesa Osun, for snatching motorcycles at gun point, equally implicated Ojo as one of his gang member.

“He confessed to the fact that himself, Seyi Ojo and two others, who are currently at large, were the ones terrorising the area and that they had snatched four motorcycles, which they sold to one Olalekan Musiliu,” Okafor said.

The DCP said that four other suspects were also arrested for being members of Eiye Confraternity while another suspect was arrested for stealing electricity cables of an ongoing building project in Osogbo.

She said that a robbery suspect shot while his gang members were attempting to rob the Steel Rolling Company, Osogbo, was also arrested while seeking medial attention to treat the injury sustained from the gun shot.

“On Wednesday at about 1:00a.m., a team of Police Anti-kidnapping operatives intercepted a four-man gang of suspected car theives on Osunjela Ilesha road while they were enroute to Kabba, Kogi State, to sell the stolen cars,” the DCP.

She said that preliminary interrogation revealed that the suspects operated under the guise of being gear box mechanics and subsequently steal their unsuspecting customers’ cars.

Okafor said that four cars were recovered from the suspects and called on residents whose property was among those recovered to come to the command, with evidence, to claim them.

She said that all the suspects would be charged to court after the completion of investigation.

VANGUARD

Metro

Sowore Arraigned Over Alleged Cybercrime

Published

8 hours ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

The Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday arraigned politician and online publisher Omoyele Sowore before the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged cybercrime offences.

Sowore, a former presidential candidate, faced a five-count charge accusing him of defaming President Bola Tinubu by calling him a criminal in posts on X and Facebook. The DSS claims that his actions violate the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, as well as the Criminal Code Act.

At the hearing, Justice Mohammed Umar granted Sowore bail on self-recognition. However, the court imposed strict conditions, barring him from making any statements capable of inciting the public or undermining national security. The judge warned that any violation of these conditions would lead to immediate revocation of his bail.

Justice Umar noted that Sowore, who previously contested for the presidency, was already under bail conditions with his international passport held by the court. He said these factors justified granting him bail without a monetary surety.

The arraignment on Tuesday came after two earlier attempts were unsuccessful. DSS counsel, Akinolu Kehinde (SAN), attributed the delays to legal obstacles introduced by Sowore’s defence team.

Sowore pleaded not guilty to all charges. His lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, also filed a fresh bail application during the proceedings, which the court considered before ruling.

Two other defendants — X Inc. (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) Inc. — are listed in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025. The DSS claims that these companies aided Sowore in publishing the posts allegedly containing defamatory statements against the president.

The case is the latest in a series of legal battles involving Sowore, who has in the past faced arrests and charges over his activism and online publications.

The Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, under which Sowore was charged, criminalises the online publication of false statements that can harm individuals or public institutions. The law also empowers the government to hold social media companies accountable if they facilitate the spread of such content.

Sowore’s arraignment has drawn reactions on social media, with supporters describing the charges as politically motivated, while others argue that public figures must exercise caution in their statements online.

Metro

Alleged Cybercrime: Court Grants Sowore Bail

Published

8 hours ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

Justice Mohammed Umar of the Abuja Federal High Court, on Tuesday, granted former presidential candidate and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, bail on self-recognition, cautioning him to refrain from making any utterances that could incite the public against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Sowore’s bail followed his arraignment by the Department of State Services (DSS) before the court on a five-count charge bordering on alleged cybercrime.

In the five-count charge, Sowore is accused of allegedly making derogatory remarks about President Tinubu on his social media handles.

Sowore, who is the convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, pleaded not guilty to the charges after they were read to him.

Earlier in the proceedings, his counsel, Marshall Abubakar, had raised a motion challenging the competence of the suit, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction.

The prosecution objected, stating they had only just been served with the processes and needed time to respond.

In a short ruling, Justice Umar held that the objection on jurisdiction was not ready for hearing because the prosecution was served that morning, adding that the defendant needed to give them adequate time to file a counter-affidavit.

He then directed that the charges be read to the defendant.

When the charge was read, Sowore pleaded not guilty; his counsel applied for bail on self-recognition. The prosecution, however, opposed the application, arguing that Sowore posed a flight risk.

Justice Umar, in ruling on the bail request, granted Sowore bail on self-recognition and adjourned the matter to January 19, 2026, for trial.

Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in 2019, was accused of contravening the provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024, and the Criminal Code Act by calling President Bola Tinubu a criminal

The two other defendants listed in the charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025, are X Incorp (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) Incorp.

Metro

Delta: Suspected Kidnapper Killed In Gun Battle With Police

Published

14 hours ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

A suspected kidnapper has been killed during a gun battle with operatives of the Delta State Police Command in collaboration with Community Volunteers in Obiaruku Forest.

Delta State Police Public Relations Officer,SP Bright Edafe, confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday.

“Operatives of the Command State Anti-Cult Unit (SACU), in collaboration with community volunteers, were on intensive patrol when they received credible intelligence that suspected kidnappers were mobilising within the Obiaruku forest to carry out an attack.

“Acting swiftly on the information, the operatives advanced towards the location to forestall the planned criminal activity,” the statement said.

According to Edafe, on approaching the area, the suspects opened fire from multiple directions in a bid to repel the team.

“The operatives responded with superior firepower, leading to the death of one suspect, while others escaped into the forest with various degrees of injuries.

“One AK-47 rifle with forty-two rounds of live ammunition, nine mobile phones, and charms were recovered,” the statement added.