The Anti-Robbery Squad of the Ogun State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Eleweran, has apprehended three suspects for armed robbery and vehicle theft across Abeokuta and its environs.

The suspects are 38-year-old Ismaila Israel Sokunbi, the suspected kingpin Kayode Adeyemi, aged 37, and Kola Taiwo, 55.

In a statement made available to newsmen on Saturday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, noted that the arrest also led to the recovery of a stolen Toyota Corolla and several exhibits linked to criminal activities.

He noted that the first suspect was arrested following a distress report received at Obantoko Division where armed suspects attempted to dispossess a resident of his vehicle while he was opening the gate to his residence.

Babaseyi stated that that victim raised an alarm, attracting neighbours to the scene and while trying to flee, the suspects lost control of the vehicle, crashed into a fence and fled the scene.

“As operatives closed in, the suspects abandoned the vehicle and fled in a standby vehicle. During their escape, one suspect dropped an Infinix mobile phone and a Wema Bank ATM card, which were recovered as exhibits.

“Acting on intelligence derived from the recovered items, detectives of the Anti-Robbery Squad launched telecommunications analysis, which led to the identification of Ismaila Israel Sokunbi as a principal suspect with links to Kayode Adeyemi, the suspected kingpin in Ibadan, Oyo State,” the statement added.

The police spokesperson noted that the suspects were arrested within Oke-Jigbo and Isale Abese areas of Abeokuta, and on interrogation, they admitted being members of a syndicate responsible for multiple vehicle thefts across Abeokuta and adjoining communities.

“They further revealed that they specialised in stealing vehicles by tampering with ignition wiring systems,” the statement noted.

In another development, operatives of the Ogun State Police Command  arrested Kola Taiwo and recovered a stolen Toyota Corolla.

The police image maker stated that  investigation revealed that the suspect had been involved in several vehicle thefts within the Osiele axis using master keys to gain access to parked vehicles.

All the arrested suspects are in custody and will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigation.

“Efforts are ongoing to recover additional stolen vehicles and apprehend other members of the syndicate,” the statement further disclosed.

Meanwhile, Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to sustained proactive policing and zero tolerance for violent crimes.

He warned  criminals to desist from unlawful activities or face the full weight of the law, while assuring residents of continued safety and security across Ogun State.

The Isan-Ekiti police station has been set ablaze by irate youths protesting the death of a community member allegedly killed by officers.

The unfortunate incident occurred on Friday night hours before the Saturday gubernatorial election holding across the state.

Circumstances surrounding the incident is still very unclear, but a viral video showed when the angry youths stormed the police facility and set it ablaze.

In one of the videos, a lifeless body of a young man could be seen lying in his own pool of blood.

When contacted by DAILY POST, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Ekiti State Command, SP Abutu Sunday said he would revert.

Asked what triggered the violence captured in the viral video, the PPRO simply said, “you have to hold on, I will get back to you”.

The incident has sparked security concerns ahead of the gubernatorial polls kicking off in the next few hours.

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Right in the center of Jos Metropolis at the popular Old Airport Junction is a one-storey building called Nana Plaza. The building houses some shops downstairs, while the top floor hosts offices, including a law firm.

Nana Plaza could be described as an unimposing building, with the tenants engaged in legitimate businesses. However, behind the plaza is an open space, about one plot where other business ventures take place, including food canteens and beer parlours where one can get quick meals and bottles of alcoholic drinks to wash down.

But all the legitimate businesses wind up with the close of day and as night falls, Nana Plaza takes another life of its own. A different form of business takes over. The front of the plaza becomes home for dealers of roasted fish, chicken, dog, and pork meat sellers.

Added to the brisk business ventures are a group of young men, popularly called “Michika Boys” who sell cigarettes, hot drinks, and illicit drugs under the cover of darkness.

Those activities would pass as ordinary businesses where the sellers eke out a living. But behind Nana Plaza is another world. As early as 8pm, the open space becomes a den of the age-long skin trade where teenage prostitutes hold sway trading their bodies for money.

The prostitution ring that unfolds at the Plaza, with some as young as 14 years.

The prostitution ring starts as early as 8 and runs till the early hours of the next day.

DAILY POST correspondent went undercover and spoke to some of the young girls and their responses spoke volumes about the menace that has gradually crept into Jos city.

Most of them blamed parental neglect, hunger, drug abuse, displacement due to violence, poverty, unemployment, peer pressure, laziness, love of money, and sexual addiction.

First to speak was Rachael, a 16-year-old mother of one who said she was forced to become a prostitute to take care of her child after the man who got her pregnant abandoned her, and her parents threw her out of the house.

“I was only 14 when my boyfriend impregnated me and refused to take responsibility. I was in JSS two and I was naive.

“I did not know he was a married man until I became pregnant and he refused to accept the pregnancy. I had to drop out of school and to add to the humiliation, my parents chased me out of the house.

“Things became so difficult for me and I had to do anything to survive. It was one aunty in my neighborhood who brought me to Nana Plaza to help her in her fish roasting business.

“When I first came here, I noticed that she would often disappear with different men during the night and when I asked her where she often went, she revealed that those men were her boyfriends who would take her to nearby hotels, sleep with her and pay her.

“She told me she had to engage in that to augment what she was making from the fish business. She told me I could make good money from those men and introduced me to some of them.

“That was how I was initiated into prostitution and though I am not proud of doing it, I have no choice as I have to take care of my child.”

For Linda, a 15-year-old girl, it was a violent attack and displacement of her community by bandits that forced her to come to Jos to “hustle” to take care of her family.

“I am from Riyom Local Government Area and I was in JSS 3 when Fulani people came to our village and killed many people, including my elder brother who was taking care of us after our parents died. Everybody in our village was chased out and we had to go and live in a camp (IDP Camp).

“Things were very difficult in the camp as we did not have enough food to eat and some of the camp officials used to force us to have sex with them or they would not give us food.

“One day, one girl who was my friend said we should run away and we escaped from the camp and first went to Kugiya in Bukuru where we started prostitution but last year, some officers came and arrested many people.

“I managed to escape and that was how I found myself here. I am not happy selling my body at this age but I have no choice because I have to take care of my younger ones,” she disclosed.

For Afiniki, an 18-year-old mother of two, her journey to becoming a prostitute was influenced by bad friends.

She said she was living with her mother after the death of her father but due to the influence of bad friends, she dropped out of school and followed them to Abuja where they engaged in prostitution.

In the process, she got pregnant and had to come back home. Though her mother was angry with her, she took her in and cared for her and her baby. When the child was about eight months, Afiniki left her with her mother and went back to Abuja to continue with her life.

Soon after, she became pregnant again and had to come back to Jos.

“Depending on the number of men I can get, I make between N5,000 and N10,000 per night but on a bad day, one can hang here till very late and would not make up to N2,000.

“On such days, you can accept N500 or even N200 for a round of sex so you can have something to eat the next day.

“I won’t lie to you, prostitution is not good and I regret it every day but there is nothing I can do,” Afiniki said.

Meanwhile, efforts to obtain comments from government authorities were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.