Pascal Arogorn Ibe
….…One of them, a Condemned Prisoner snatched a vehicle 30 minutes after, sold it in Kaduna & snatched another car in Kaduna.
The Police at Force headquarters on Monday paraded 34 suspected criminals including five escapee prisoners who escaped from the Oko Correctional Center in Benin when hoodlums hiding under the ENDSARS protests broke the facility and several prisoners escaped.
One of the escapee prisoners who was on death row, Onorude Benjamin who hails from Delta state, disclosed that about 30 minutes after he escaped from the Oko prison, he snatched a vehicle from someone who offered him a ride, took the car to Kaduna state, sold it to one Alhaji and snatched another vehicle in Kaduna, a Venza.
He said he used a pistol given to him by the Alhaji in Kaduna to snatch the vehicle.
Speaking during the parade of the suspects, Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba said the investigative breakthroughs and arrests were carried out by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and the Special Tactical Squad (STS) under the Force Intelligence Bureau.
He said, “All the suspects are clearly and forensically linked with cases of armed robbery, car theft, unlawful possession of weapons, illegal dealings and selling of weapons.
“At the peak of the ENDSARS protests which later turned violent, some of the nations’ correctional facilities were attacked and lawfully incarcerated persons made to escape. Most of these escapee prisoners usually constitute a new set of risks and hazard particularly to Police officers who partook in their arrest.
“They begin to attack, intimidate the Police officers, witnesses and even judicial prosecutors.
“Four persons who escaped from the Oko Correctional facility in Edo State were arrested. As soon as they left prison, they forged a new alliance and set up a new gang with other criminally minded persons.
“Adebayo Opeyemi, a dismissed soldier was on awaiting trial, Onorude Benjamin was tried for conspiracy and armed robbery and sentenced to death, Peter Felix Osas is a notorious criminal and Alhaji Hudu Musa had 9 months left to serve in jail. He specializes in moving stolen cars across the border to neighbouring countries.
“Frank Odion a car snatcher has successfully snatched 4 vehicles since he escaped from prison. All the vehicles have been recovered.
“Abdullahi Mohammed stole 18 cars within a period of 90 days and they have all been moved across to Niger and other countries but efforts are on with INTERPOL to recover back the bulk of the vehicles.
“One suspect involved in violent crime is a female, Talatu Ibrahim who specializes in Gun Running 6 AK 47 rifles were recovered from her.
“In all, 8 AK 47 rifles were recovered from the criminals, 8 stolen vehicles have been recovered.
In a brief chat with reporters, Onorude Benjamin said, “Yes I am one of those who escaped from Oko Prison. I am one of those on condemned row.
When I came out I snatched a vehicle, took it to Kaduna and sold it to Alhaji Hudu. I snatched a Venza car and took it to Delta state before I was arrested”.
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