Offa Robbery: Police Arrest 12 Suspects, Reveal Their Identities

The police have revealed the identities of 12 suspects who were arrested for alleged connection to the last Thursday’s deadly robbery in Offa, Kwara State.

The armed robbers who stormed the community in the afternoon of April 5, left over 17 people killed after they raided five banks.

Eight police officers at Owode Division, Offa, were also killed in the attack, and the robbers made away with police arms and ammunition.

The police arrested seven suspects within the first two days of the attack, and made more arrests on later dates.

The police had earlier withheld the names of the first batch of suspects, saying doing so could jeopardise efforts to arrest the remaining members of the gang or/and threaten the entire investigation into the deadly robbery that had gripped the nation for the past one week.

President Muhammadu Buhari and other Nigerian leaders have condemned the attack and called on the police to take immediate action to bring the perpetrators to justice.

However,  Jimoh Moshood, Nigerian Police Force Public Relations Officer, released details of the arrests, including recovered exhibits.

In a statement he released on Friday.Moshood disclosed the identities of the suspects.

The suspects:

1. Adegoke Shogo 29yrs – Arrested in Offa
2. Kayode Opadokun 35yrs – Arrested in Offa
3. Kazeem Abdulrasheed 36yrs – Arrested in Offa
4. Azeez Abdullahi 27yrs – Arrested in Offa
5. Alexander Reuben 39yrs – Arrested on the 11th April, 2018 in Lagos
6. Jimoh Isa 28yrs – Arrested on the 11th April, 2018 in Lagos
7. Azeez Salawudeen 20yrs – Arrested in Offa and victim’s phone and sim cards recovered from him
8. Adewale Popoola 22yrs – Arrested in Offa and victim’s phone and sim cards recovered from him
9. Adetoyese Muftau 23yrs – Arrested in Ibadan, Oyo State
10. Aminu Ibrahim 18yrs – Arrested in Ilorin
11. Richard Buba Terry 23yrs – Arrested in Ilorin
12. Peter Jaba Kuunfa 25yrs – Arrested in Ilorin

The last three suspects where those in whose possession another Beretta pistol and Fourteen (14) rounds of live ammunitions were recovered.

EXHIBITS

1. Two (2) Beretta Pistols
2. Twenty (20) Rounds of Live Ammunition
3. Four (4) Phones and SIM cards belonging to victims, some of whom were killed during the attack

Consequent on the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris NPM, mni, deployment of high-powered Police Investigation Team, Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), Three (3) units of Police Mobile Force (PMF) and Anti-Robbery equipment to Kwara State to carryout discreet investigation into the banks robbery, prevent further attacks and bring perpetrators to justice.

The high-powered Police Investigation Team deployed in synergy with the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department have arrested the Nine (9) above mentioned Armed Robbers directly involved in the Banks Robbery and attack on a Police Station in Offa, Kwara State. The Police teams engaged in massive raids of identified criminal spots/flashpoints, stop and search operations, visibility and confidence building patrols, intelligence gathering which led to the arrest of the suspects. Some of the arrest also involved serious exchange of gun fire between the Police and the suspects in their various hideouts.

The following are the suspects arrested and have admitted to the various criminal roles they played in the banks robbery attacks and are also assisting Police investigation into the incident.

Adegoke Shogo, a  29 years native of Offa was arrested in Offa after the bank robbery and the attack on the Police Station.

He is drug baron and also an Indian Hemp dealer in Offa.

According to intelligence gathered from cultivated and reliable informant, he is alleged to be one of the sponsors of the robbery attack and the Police Station in Offa.

He has made useful statements to the roles he played in the armed robbery.

Kayode Opadokun,  35 years, also a native of Offa, was a notorious armed robber and confirmed gang member of the Offa banks robbers.

He was found out to have been released from prison three months ago after serving only eight months of his sentence years for armed robbery. A Barrette pistol and six (6) rounds of live ammunition was recovered from him. He has admitted to the criminal roles he played in the banks robbery.

Kazeem Abdulrasheed, 36 years also a native of Offa Kwara State is a gang member from whom a victim’s phone was found.

He was arrested in Offa.

Azeez Abdullahi, 27 years native of Offa is also a member from whom another victim’s phone and SIM cards were recovered.

Alexander Reuben 39 years native of Isoko LGA Delta State is a notorious, deadly and hardened bank robber from whom GMPGs, Rocket launchers and several rifles were recovered in 2015.

He was released from Prison in December 2017 but was arrested on the 11th April, 2018 in Lagos.

Jimoh Isa, 28 years native of Okene, Kogi State indicted by technical intelligence generated on the banks robbers.

He was arrested on the 11th April, 2018 in Lagos.

Three other suspects namely Azeez Salawudeen, 20 years, Adewale Popoola, 22 years and Adetoyese Muftau, 23 years from whom two phones and SIM cards belonging to victims were recovered have also made confessional statements admitting to the various roles they played in the commission of the crime.

Aminu Ibrahim, 18 years arrested in Ilorin, Richard Buba Terry 23 years and Peter Jaba Kuunfa 25 years were suspects in whose possession another Beretta pistol and Fourteen (14) rounds of live ammunitions were recovered were arrested in connection with the robbery.

They have previously been investigated and charged to court for armed robbery and cultism. They have made confessional statements admitting to the various criminal roles they played in the recent bank robbery in Offa.

“All the suspects during investigation confessed to the various criminal roles they played in the commission of the crime, however, investigation is being intensified to arrest other suspects still at large and bring them to justice,” said Moshood.

“The Nigeria Police Force once again deeply commiserates with the Government and People of Kwara State, most especially the people of Offa and the families of the victims. The Force will leave no stone unturned in unravelling this dastard act and bring all those responsible to justice. The Force appreciates the supports from members of the public so far and calls for calm and their cooperation to sustain the normalcy that has been restored in the State,” Police spokesman stated.