The Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police
Force in Lagos, on Monday paraded a chief of the All Progressives Congress in
Ekiti State, Itunnu Odeyemi and eight others, saying they were notorious for
the snatching exotic cars in parts of the country.
The arrest of Ajewole, a 28-year-old man from Ilesha, Osun
State, had led to the arrest of other members of the gang which included Itunnu
Odeyemi, who Ajewole also claimed was his political godfather.
But while speaking with journalists, Odeyemi denied being a
member of any robbery gang. He said he provided Ajewole with a locally-made
gun, which the police have recovered, to protect him during the period of the
recently concluded governorship election in
Ekiti State.
He said, “Omoniyi (Ajewole) is my political thug. I brought
him to my place and gave him a gun to secure me. I have never participated in
any robbery operation, but he used to escort me with the gun. Having an escort
was part of the gains of being a political leader. All APC leaders were working
for the government during the election...
“Every political party, including ours has factions. That
was why I gave him the gun, so that he could always protect me wherever I went.
I also told him to be with me, particularly as the Ekiti election was
approaching then. I had seen the gun on the ground during the 2007 elections
violence in the state and had kept it.”
Ajewole, who was caught by police, confessed during
interrogation that he had been working as a political thug for the APC
chieftain. He said, “He had given me the gun to use in protecting him during
campaign violence. But I had not yet used the gun before I was arrested in
September 2013. I am not a robber. I prefer to be called a political thug. I
was the only one the honourable (Odeyemi) gave the gun, and he also paid me
salary.”
Odeyemi in an APC Local Government Area executive in
Efon-Alaaye, Ekiti State.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, said the
suspects were arrested after a victim, who was robbed of two vehicles and other
valuables on June 27, 2013 in Ile-Ife, Osun State, reported to the police. He
added that the case was later transferred to the FSARS.
Punch reports that after the arrest of the gang, the FSARS
were able to recover 17 stolen cars in different parts of the country, most of
which were Toyota and Honda. Three assorted guns were also recovered from them.
Mba said the suspects would soon be arraigned in court.
He said, “This is a case that started on June 27, 2013, when
a Nigerian was robbed of two vehicles and other valuables and he reported the
incident to the police. This arrest is one of the achievements of the FSARS. It
led to the arrest of nine suspects who were clearly linked with not just the
armed robbery reported, but a series of such in the country.
“An interesting aspect of the arrest is that Ajewole
confessed to the police that he was not an armed robber, but also a political
thug working for Odeyemi Itunnu from Efon Alaaye, Ekiti State. We want to warn
politicians to steer clear of actions that are capable of posing a threat to
the security of the country.”
Other members of the nine-man gang are Omoniyi Ajewole,
Oluseye Jacob, Oluwadamiliare Rasaki, Ajisafe Olawale, Ogunniyi Sunday, Tolani
Babatunde, Abubakar Umar, and Ayodeji Olumudi.
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