Police arrest 20 suspected robbers in Ondo

Ade Akanbi, Akure

The Ondo State Police Command has arrested 20 youths who are suspected to be robbers operating within Akure, the state capital and its environs.

The command also paraded a 44-year-old man identified as Festus Balogun, who allegedly specialised in blackmailing popular pastors in the country.

At the parade of the suspects, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mike Ogbodu, said the suspects had confessed to being involved in a series of robbery incidents in the state,

Some of the suspects, according to the commissioner, include: Tope Omotoso, Odusesan Idowu, John Esena, James Ebenezer, Oluwole Omotoso and and Dotun Olagbegi.

Others are, Alhassan Abudu, Akinola Dada, Mohammed and Olotu Ayoola, Poroye Niyi, Nejo Oluwatobi and James Oluwatobi .

Ogbodu disclosed that the suspect, who specialised in blackmailing clergymen, whose name is Balogun had been on the watch-list of the police, explaining that he released a video titled: ‘Asiri Tu’ (which means ‘Secret exposed,’) alleging that twelve pastors were involved in rituals, killing and other fetish acts.

During investigation, the suspect said all the claims he made in the video were not true, pleading that he was lured into the crime for financial gains, the police boss said.