Two members of a seven-person criminal gang, Chukwuma Bartholomew and Igwe Monday, have been arrested for the abduction and murder of Point of Sale operator, Olúwaṣeun Oworu, and 71-year-old farmer Adekunle Ifelaja in Ogun State.
The suspects were apprehended at their hideouts in Ijebu on June 28, 2024, after a sting operation by the state police command. This gang was responsible for a series of kidnappings and murders in the Ijebu-Igbo area.
They targeted victims for ransom, despite receiving large sums and not releasing them. The gang used the stolen PoS machine to conduct transactions with the victims’ families.
Police spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, confirmed the arrests and stated that the suspects confessed to the crimes. They admitted to killing Femi and Ifelaja and burying them in a forest in Ijebu-Igbo.
The state Police Commissioner Abiodun Alamutu commended the operation that led to the release of four abducted travellers and the killing of two kidnappers along the Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode expressway, emphasizing the government’s commitment to combatting crime.