One Ayobami Erinfolamin, 35, has confessed to leading some of his gang members in a robbery operation at Fresh FM Ibadan.
Erinfolamin, who was paraded alongside other 30 suspected criminals at the Oyo State Police Headquarters Eleyele Ibadan on Tuesday, also confessed to have collected the sum of twenty thousand naira only (N20,000) as his share of the looted items stolen from the FM station owned by popular gospel musician, Aiyefele.
Parading the suspects, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Ngozi Onadeko gave a detailed account of the incident, stressing that
“on 10th April, 2022, at about 2300hrs, some members of a notorious criminal gang who specialize in invading hotels, hospitals and other public places to attack unsuspecting members of the public, invaded FRESH FM Challenge area, Ibadan.”
She noted that the suspected armed robbers broke and entered the studio of the FM station, attacked and dispossessed employees on duty of huge sums of money, expensive cell phones and an FM Radio Transmitter Laptop at gun point.
CP Ngozi said,
“The incident was reported at the Monitoring Unit Office, Oyo State Command and while investigation was in progress to apprehend the perpetrators of this crime, similar armed robbery operation was carried out at different hotels within Ibadan metropolis by the armed robbers and on 24th April, 2022, the same criminal syndicate members stormed Delight Hospital and Fertility Center located at Ring road area, Ibadan where both patients, their relatives and employees of the hospital were attacked and dispossessed of cash, cell phones and some other valuable items at gun point.
“Sequel to these serial armed robbery incidents, a team of Police operatives attached to the Monitoring Unit embarked on a discreet investigation and in the process, the kingpin of the armed robbery syndicate was arrested in his hideout in connection with the crimes.”
“Upon interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime and series of other criminal activities he had masterminded with his syndicate members in different parts of Oyo State.
“Investigation is still ongoing to crack the criminal network and other members of the gang who are at large with a view to recovering the valuable items that were carted away. Further developments will be communicated later,”
Onadeko said.
In his confession to journalists, Erinfolamin denied ownership of the pump action rifle gun found in his possession, but confirmed that it was used by his colleagues who are currently at large during the operation.
He said,
“I’m not the owner of this gun, but it was used by my friend for the operation.
“After we robbed Fresh FM, we also robbed at Delight Hospital at Ring Road that same night, I was given N20,000 as my share after we’ve sold all the looted items.
“We collected phones, laptops only at Fresh FM and this is my second operation that I participated so far, I received N30,000 in my first operation, now that have been caught I regret all my actions, I promise I will not go back into crime again, the authority should have mercy on me.”
