News
Just In : Ekiti Police Command nab Inspector supplying weapons to robbers
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Ekiti State Police Command has arrested a Police Inspector, Hillary Garcha, AP NO 272969, attached to the command’s Safer Highway Patrol, Ado-Ekiti for allegedly supplying arms and ammunition to various robbery groups.
The arrest of the Inspector of Police was sighted by The Eagle Online in a Situation Report on Saturday.
According to the Situation Report the arrest of Garcha led to the crack dismantling of different gangs in different areas in the state.
Also, the smashing of these gangs began with a single arrest of a robbery suspect named Ponyi Nambe Boka, who is 34 years old.
The smashing of these groups not only led the investigating police team in the state to storm hotels to make arrests and recover guns, it also led to guns being recovered inside a well.
It was further gathered that these different gang members, arrested in different places, including hotels, all mentioned Inspector Garcha as their arms and ammunition supplier.
It was gathered that on June 2, 2024 at about 10pm, a gang of robbers, numbering about eight, stormed Oshodi Community, Ado-Ekiti, armed to the teeth with sophisticated guns.
Obiyomi Oluwatunmise, who is 20 years old, was robbed and sustained a gunshot injury on his right hand.
A Senior Police Officer, Superintendent of Police Oke Ila, attached to the Ekiti State Police Command, with his men arrested 34-year-old Boka was at the scene, where police also recovered an AK-47 rifle with Breech Number NA2329, with one magazine loaded with two rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition.
During interrogation, Boka sang like a bird, leading to the arrest of Inspector Garcha.
Further efforts by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad attached to the Ekiti State Police Command led to the recovery of an AK-47 Rifle with Breech Number 56-25012126, with three magazines, loaded with nine rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition from the house of the Inspector in the Irona area of Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
The police team, still working on confessions of the suspect, stormed Wonder King Hotel located at Water Works Area of Ado-Ekiti, where Tinnam Timmel Moses, 31, and Ponpyal Domfas Yohanna, 38, aka Boss, were arrested.
On June 7, 2024, the police team extended investigations to Ido-Ekiti, where one Napkul Amos, aka Birdman, was arrested.
On June 8, 2024, the arrested suspects led RRS operatives to YGL Hotel, located in the Oke-Ila area of Ado-Ekiti, where two locally made Beretta pistols with two magazines loaded with four 9mm live ammunition were recovered inside a well within the hotel premises.
During the operation, 29-year-old Peter Nalde; Loktul Joshua Sunday, 25; Benjamin Dashe, 27; Selna Luka, 29; and Sadul Marmap 29, were arrested in the hotel premises.
According to the SITREP: “All arrested suspects confessed to be members of the robbery gang and indicted the arrested inspector as their supplier of arms and ammunition.
“Investigation further revealed that the gang members were responsible for the armed robbery attacks on one Bukola Esan at Adebayo Area Ado-Ekiti on 5th of January 2024, murder of one Adewumi Blessing, 29 at Ajebamidele area Ado-Ekiti, which occurred on the 6th of February 2024.
“Also, these gang members also murdered Isijola Temitope Opeyemi, 40, POS Operator at Ilawe Road Ado-Ekiti on 22nd of May 2024.
“Armed robbery attack on Ms Badmus Sekinat and three others along Ilawe road on 22nd of May 2024, armed robbery attack on Bakare David Oluwaseun and others at Ilokum Ado-Ekiti on the 19th of May 2024.
“Investigation revealed that the arrested suspects have been snatching motorcycles in Ado metropolis since January 2024. The suspects are in custody and currently undergoing interrogation.
“Effort is on top gear for possible arrest of fleeing gang members mentioned as one Toomuch Dashe, Ponsak, Samak, Shinquam and recovery of remaining arms and stolen valuables in their possession.”
According to him, such financial mishandling not only disrupts critical public services and projects but also results in major losses to the nation’s purse—resources that could have been channelled into crucial services and developmental efforts, as laid out in Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution.
Speaker Abbas, thereafter setup a Special Committee to be chaired by Rep. Chinedu Martins to immediately launch a probe into the “Utilisation of take-off grants, bailout funds, and interventions allocated to MDAs, government institutions, and GOEs from 2015 to present.”
The FCT Minister, Mr. Nyesom Wike, expressed satisfaction with the progress on the Abuja light rail project, reaffirming its May 29 delivery as sacrosanct.
He made these assurances after inspecting the ongoing construction of access roads to the train stations on Wednesday, from Metro Train Station in the Central Area to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Reassuring journalists accompanying him, the minister reiterated that President Bola Tinubu would commission the rail project on May 29 to mark his second year in office.
The visited stations were Wupa station near Idu and Bassanjiwa station near the airport.
“This is part of our routine inspection of ongoing projects to see the contractors’ progress,” Wike explained.
“We are working day and night to fulfill our promise to President Tinubu and FCT residents. By May, Mr. President will ride on the Metro line.”
Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen are currently invading some communities in the Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State.
According to sources, the herdsmen armed with AK-47 rifles stormed the community around 04:15pm on Thursday.
“Our lives are in danger this evening, armed Fulani herdsmen, about 600 in numbers have taken over our communities this evening,” a resident told SaharaReporters.
“They’re currently moving around towns in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue state. No security personnel at all, Governor Alia didn’t send security, they said operation will start soon once they (herders) have observed the place.”
The insecurity situation in Benue has been alarming in recent weeks with attacks from gunmen suspected to be herdsmen.
The media had reported that suspected herdsmen again unleashed terror in Benue State, attacking three communities in Otukpo Local Government Area (LGA) on Wednesday, just a day after 11 people were killed in a deadly raid on Otobi community.
The latest victims of the escalating violence were Emichi, Odudaje, and Okpamaju, communities that had previously suffered an attack in February, which left five people dead.
However, the renewed attack has created fear and mass displacement among residents, with women and children fleeing to safety.
Local sources say the death toll from the fresh attack remains unclear, but several casualties are feared.
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