The Ogun State police command announced the arrest of five individuals on Thursday, who are believed to be part of a group specializing in shop burglaries and vandalism of electrical transformers in Ijebu-Ode and its surrounding areas.

The suspects, aged between 20 and 39, have been identified as Emmanuel, also known as Ozon, 32, from Emurin Ijebu Ode; Samuel Sunday Idoko, 39, from Iwesi Street, Ijebu Ode; 21-year-old Tolulope Ilesanmi, residing at No. 4 Ilepa Street, Ilese Ijebu; 29-year-old Sanusi Daniel, originally from Epe, Lagos State; and Ogunkoya Victor, 20, from Ijagun Road, Ijebu Ode.

Superintendent of Police Omolola Odutola, the spokesperson for the Ogun State police, shared this information in a statement issued to journalists. She noted that the police had received numerous complaints from local shop owners, many of whom were still reeling from the theft of goods from an electronics shop in September, alongside other similar incidents reported in October.

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Odutola highlighted the range of crimes being reported, including cable theft, transformer vandalism, and thefts from homes while residents were at work.

On October 4, 2024, around 8:30 PM, police officers at Igbeba Police Station were tipped off about a member of the burglary syndicate involved in stealing AMOR cables and vandalizing transformers. This led to the identification and surveillance of the suspects near the Ijebu Ilese Toll Gate.

Acting swiftly, detectives apprehended the first suspect, Emmanuel M., known as “Ozon.” During interrogation, he confessed to being part of the burglary gang and provided details that resulted in the capture of Samuel Sunday Idoko. The other suspects, Tolulope Ilesanmi, Sanusi Daniel, and Ogunkoya Victor, were subsequently apprehended as well.

The suspects reportedly admitted to breaking into the electronics store of Anayo Sunday James at Bobadara Junction, Igbeba Road, Ijebu Ode, on February 20, 2024, and stealing AMOR cable wires from various transformers across the region.

A search of Idoko’s home revealed various burglary tools, including an iron cutter, drilling machine, cutting machine, hammer, screwdriver, and iron chisel. The suspects are currently undergoing further questioning as police continue their efforts to apprehend other members of the syndicate and recover additional stolen property.