Two nabbed as Ogun police foil hostel robbery, recover 11 iPhones, others

Officers attached to the Ewekoro Division of the Ogun State Police Command have foiled a robbery operation at a student hostel in the Eruku/Agbon area, arrested two suspects and recovered stolen property, including 11 smartphones and a laptop.

The suspects, identified as Waris Dauda and Tiamiyu Abiodun, were apprehended at about 2:40 am.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, the arrest followed an anonymous distress call reporting that an armed gang was robbing students in their hostel within the community on Sunday.

Upon receiving the information, Babaseyi stated that operatives of the Ewekoro Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, were promptly dispatched to the scene. On sighting the officers, the suspects abandoned their loot in a school bag and attempted to flee.

“However, the team pursued and successfully apprehended two suspects, identified as Waris Dauda, male, and Tiamiyu Abiodun, male.

“A search of the abandoned bag led to the recovery of 11 assorted iPhones, one HP laptop and various items of clothing.

“Victims of the robbery have since identified their recovered property,” he stated.

The PRO disclosed that preliminary investigations also revealed that during the robbery, the gang forced one of the victims to transfer the sum of N200,000 to an account.

Babaseyi noted that active operations are ongoing to track down the fleeing gang members and locate the owner of the beneficiary account.

He added that while search warrants executed at the suspects’ residences yielded no further incriminating items, both suspects and the recovered property are being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, Abeokuta, for discreet investigation and prosecution.

The spokesperson also quoted the State Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, as commending the Ewekoro operatives for their vigilance and timely response.

Ojajuni reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to public safety, assuring students and residents of its unyielding resolve to protect every part of the state from criminal elements.

The Command also urged operators of off-campus student hostels and landlords to maintain emergency contact numbers and report security threats or suspicious activities immediately through the Gateway Shield Toll-Free Line.