Two military personnel and another who deserted the Army to commit criminal activities in Oyo state have been arrested by SARS Oyo state and were yesterday paraded at the Police Command Headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, Oyo State.
Private Azeez Olaide serving in 202 Battalion, Bama, Maiduguri, Borno State and Ibrahim Lawal, who deserted the Nigerian Army Depot, Zaria, Kaduna State, were nabbed for kidnapping, robbery, and rape. While a naval rating, Lance Corporal Jimoh Adesoye, 28, was arrested for armed robbery, using his uniform to transport vehicles snatched by his gang to dispose of them. Adesoye confessed that he bought two vehicles which he knew were stolen.
They were among 49 suspects paraded by the Police Commissioner, Mr. Abiodun Odude. Olaide along with his accomplices, Ibrahim Lawal and Kehinde Adeniji, 29, were arrested with four pairs of military camouflage, a pair of military desert boots and a fake military identification card. They were armed with guns, Jackknife, and other dangerous weapons.
They abducted a man, Rasak Michael, and his girlfriend, Rashidat, at Mobil area, Oluyole, Ibadan April 31 about 5p.m.
Narrating what happened, the Police Commissioner said:
They took the victims to a hotel where they were kept till the next day. While in captivity, the suspects took turns to rape the female victim and videotaped the sexual escapade for purpose of blackmail in future.
The commissioner also said that the victims were defrauded of large sums of money through their ATM cards, the PIN numbers of which the suspects had forcibly obtained.
Confessing to their crimes, Olaide said:
It happened that we raped a girl and collected her money worth N145,000 and I transferred the money into my account.
We arrested a guy and his girlfriend and took them to the KSA Hotel in New Garrage where we raped his girlfriend and we recorded it. We just did it for fun; we did not mean to do anything with the video in the future.
It was myself and Ibrahim that raped the girl. I am a serving soldier and I am the one that usually give my friends soldier camouflage to use during our operations.
In his account, Adesoye confessed that he received two snatched vehicles from his accomplices and helped disposed of them.
He said:
I knew the vehicles were stolen before I bought and resold them.
I know what I did was wrong, but it was Satan that led me into it.
Lance Corporal Jimoh Adesoye also confessed, saying:
I am from Ogun State. I am a seaman in the Nigerian Navy. What led to my arrest was that I bought two stolen vehicles from these robbery suspects. It was one of my friends who introduced me to them. When I told him that I needed a car, the man said he was an importer and exporter.
I asked my friend who bought a new car if I can get one as well. That was why he introduced me to those guys.Though I have my personal car that I am using, I said I wanted to change it and my friend said he would connect me with a man that sold him his car. A few days later they called me that the car was ready. I have two cars from the gang and I was later aware that the cars were stolen ones.Though I know it is not right for me to buy such cars, I am so sorry. I realise now that I am at fault on this matter.
