The Ekiti State Police Command has re-arrested a notorious armed robber and jailbreak escapee, Omotuyi Temitope, also known as Tope Jinadu Small.
PUNCH Metro learnt in a press statement by the state police spokesperson, DSP Abutu Sunday, on Wednesday, that Temitope was captured on June 16, 2024, at the Alex Grace Hotel in Ado-Ekiti, noting that his arrest followed credible intelligence received by the Rapid Response Squad.
Sunday stated that Temitope and four others were initially arrested in 2012 for conspiracy and armed robbery and were charged in court and remanded in the Ado-Ekiti Correctional Centre.
While in custody, PUNCH Metro learnt that he and another inmate, Jimoh Sadiku, orchestrated a jailbreak with external accomplices, leading to the escape of 220 inmates.
The statement revealed that following the jailbreak, Temitope fled to the United Arab Emirates where he was involved in a murder case. He was arrested, imprisoned for six years, and later repatriated to Nigeria.
Upon Temitope’s return, the statement disclosed that he resumed his criminal activities, and investigations revealed that he, along with his gang members still at large, had been involved in numerous robberies targeting innocent citizens in Ado-Ekiti.
The PRO added that the suspect’s arrest was part of the police command’s intensified efforts to reduce crime in the state.
He confirmed that Temitope would face the full extent of the law and that efforts were ongoing to capture his remaining gang members.
The statement read, “On 02/06/2024 at about 22:20hrs, a gang of armed robbers numbering about eight stormed Oshodi Community, Ado-Ekiti, with guns and other sophiscated weapons, attacked and robbed different residents of their belongings.
“Upon the receipt of the information, the Command Rapid Response Squad(RRS) swung into action and arrested one Poyi Nambet Boka at the scene with one AK47 rifle loaded with ammunition.
The suspect led RRS operatives to WonderKing Hotel, Ado-Ekiti, where two of their gang members; Pompyal Domfas Yahanna a.k.a BOSS and Timnan Nimmyel Moses John were arrested.
“The suspects equally led the operatives to YGL Hotel, Ado-Ekiti, where two locally made Barreta pistols with one magazine loaded with four rounds of live ammunition were recovered inside a Well within the hotel premises and one Peter Nalde, the security guard of the Hotel who concealed the weapons, was arrested.
On 16/06/2024, one of the gang members, David Dashe aka TOO MUCH, who escaped to Abuja, the Federal Capital Tractory, was trailed and arrested by RRS Operatives. Other gang members arrested are: One Katdul Joshua Sunday, Benjamin Dashe, Selna Luka and Saldu Marmap.
“The suspects confessed to have been responsible for the robbery attacks on different innocent citizens in Ado-Ekiti and IKere-Ekiti on 05/01/2024, 07/04/2024, 19/05/2024, 26/05/2024, 30/05/2024, 22/05/2024, amongst others.
They equally confessed to being responsible for the robbery and the murder of one Adewumi Blessing ‘f’ on 06/02/2024 and the murder of one isijola Temitope Opeyemi, a POS operator on 22/05/2024.
(PUNCH)