Five nabbed for killing man wrongfully accused of stealing phone

Personnel of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested five suspects for beating 22-year-old Olamide Omolegbe to death after a trader, Bolanle Muhammed, wrongfully accused him of stealing her phone in the Badore area of Ajah.

It was learnt that the suspects, Bolanle, Wasiu Wahab, Ramon Ibrahim, Junior Adebayo and Yusuf Adegbite, allegedly dumped the deceased’s corpse in the lagoon after perpetrating the crime.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, in a statement on Sunday, said investigation revealed that Bolanle’s son actually stole the phone, adding that Omolegbe’s corpse was recovered by detectives.

He stated that the suspects, during interrogation, confessed to the crime, adding that the state Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muazu, had ordered that the case be transferred to the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba, for diligent investigation and prosecution of the suspects

Elkana said, “On Tuesday, July 9, 2019, around 11.30am, the Langbasa Police Station received a complaint that on Monday, July 8, 2019, around 8pm, one Olamide Omolegbe, 22, of GRA Abijo, was killed. The deceased was accused of stealing a phone by one Bolanle Muhammed at her soft drinks’ shop in Badore, Ajah.

“The false alarm she raised led to the beating and killing of Omolegbe by the following persons: Wasiu Wahab, Ramon Ibrahim, Junior Adebayo and Yusuf Adegbite. The four persons actually beat up the victim and when he was dead, they threw his corpse in the lagoon. His body was recovered by a team of detectives led by the Divisional Police Officer, Langbasa Police Station, SP Ada Okafor, on Wednesday, July 10, 2019, around the Badore jetty and deposited in the Mainland Hospital mortuary for autopsy.

“Five suspects, including the woman who raised the false alarm, were arrested. Wasiu Wahab, who is the principal murder suspect, and Yusuf Adegbite, were arrested inside the lagoon, where they hid themselves in order to evade arrest. Investigation revealed that the phone was actually stolen by the son of the woman, who wrongly accused the deceased.

“The suspects confessed to the crime. The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Zubairu Muazu, has ordered the homicide section of the SCIID, Panti, Yaba, to take over the investigation and ensure a diligent prosecution of the suspects.”

In another development, officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria and security agencies, during a two-day raid on markets in the Ikeja area of Lagos State, arrested eight suspects for illegally trading in the naira.

Elkana, who identified the suspects as Adijat Adetoro, Ayoola Mahmoud, Madu Eze, Shakirat Olorunfunmi, Julius Akonji, Kadri Olalekan, Abiodun Akinsanya and Yetunde Adeniyi, said over N2m in different denominations used for the illicit trade and other exhibits were recovered from the suspects during the raid.

While stating that it was a punishable offence for any person or group of persons to hawk, sell or otherwise trade in naira notes, coins or any note issued by the CBN, Elkana added that the suspects would be charged to court under sections 20 and 21 of the CBN Act, 2007.

The PPRO said, “Acting on credible intelligence, the Lagos State Police Command, in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria and other sister security agencies, raided markets within Ikeja and environs, where the Nigerian currency was being illegally traded.

“The operation was carried out on Friday, July 12, and Saturday July 13, 2019. Eight suspects, Adijat Adetoro, 37; Ayoola Mahmoud, 42; Madu Eze, 27; Shakirat Olorunfunmi, 38; Julius Akonji, 40; Olalekan Kadri, 23; Abiodun Akinsanya, 34; and Yetunde Adeniyi, 30, were arrested in connection with the crime.

“A cash sum of N2,440,550 mint of different denominations used in the illicit trade and other exhibits were recovered. Investigation is ongoing to ascertain the sources of the currencies. The suspects will be charged to court under sections 20 and 21 of the CBN Act, 2007. It is a punishable offence under the CBN Act for any person or group of persons to hawk, sell or otherwise trade in naira notes, coins or any note issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“Upon conviction, the offenders will be liable to imprisonment for not less than six months or a fine not less than N50,000, or both. It is important for members of the public to note that acts of spraying naira notes at occasions, soiling and writing on the currency, squeezing the naira as well as hawking and selling of the country’s currency are abuses of the naira and are punishable by law.”