Oyo NURTW Remains Banned – Police Authority

Mr Shina Olukolu

Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan

Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Shina Olukolu has reiterated that the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, is still proscribed and considered illegal in the state.

Olukolu stated this on Friday September 13, 2019 during a press briefing to intimate the public about the command’s breakthrough on the nefarious activities of fraudsters within Ibadan metropolis as well as sensitizing members of the public on the modus operandi and strategies being employed to defraud innocent citizens in the state.

The Commissioner said, “I also wish to state categorically that NURTW activities in Oyo State remained unrecognized and proscribed. Consequently, whoever disturbs the peace and security being enjoyed by the good people of Oyo State will be apprehended and made to face the wrath of the law”.

The police boss also paraded one young man, Gbolahan Ismaila, 20, who raped and killed one Miss Toyin Olubowale, after which he stole some of her property including A32F itel Android cell phone. Other arrested with the killer were Oyedeji Blessing, 22 and Oyekola Mumini.

According to Olukolu, around 2pm on 29th August, 2019, Gbolahan had boarded a commercial motorcycle belonging to one Joel Musa to No. 15, road 3 Ogidi Estate Ibadan, where his victim was living.

He said, “He alighted and entered the house of one Toyin Olubowale, whom he sexually assaulted and subsequently smashed her head with a wooden stool which led to her death before he made away with her A32F itel Android cell phone. When the commercial motorcyclist returned him to Oju-Irin, Akobo Area of Ibadan, he noticed a wound and blood stains on one of Gbolahan’s fingers on the right hand and he became suspicious due to unusual sound he heard from the house while he was outside. Hence, he went back to the house and met people crying over the death of the deceased. He thereafter informed the people that he knew the suspect who killed the deceased and that he brought him to the house earlier in the day. Hence, Joel Musa was promptly arrested and handed over to the police. His arrest led to the apprehension of the principal suspect who carried out the dastardly act, one Gbolahan Ismaila. On his interrogation, he confessed to the crime and two other suspects, one Oyedeji Blessing, who received the stolen phone and one Oyekola Mumini, a GSM repairer, who assisted to flash and destroy evidence on the phone were arrested and are being prepared for prosecution”.

Also paraded were three fraudsters, Tajudeen Akintunde, Omoola Adeyanju and Tunde Ganiyu, who hypnotized one Gafari Taiwo living in Yemetu Alawada Area of Ibadan to dupe her of N201, 000.

According to the police commissioner, “His elder sister, Gafari Suliat sent him on an errand to deposit the sum of N15,000 at Stanbic IBTC bank while she also gave him her ATM card to equally check her account after he must have made the deposit. He stated further that at a point at Total filling station on Total garden road, Ibadan, a man who was later identified as Tunde Ganiyu, who pretended to be a pastor approached him and prophesized that he had a problem. At that point he took him to Oranyan area of Ibadan, where he collected the sum of N15, 000 naira cash and ATM card owned by Gafari Suliat from him and used the ATM card to withdraw the sum of N93,000 and another N50,000 through POS and N43,000 from ATM machine”.

He concluded, “An Okada rider, one Tunde Ganiyu, a member of the syndicate was beckoned upon to assist him to purchase salt at Iwo road to complete his ritual rites. He became conscious of himself while on the way and he alerted the people thereby leading to the arrest of Tunde Ganiyu. The principal suspect who collected the ATM card from the victim, one Omoola Adeyanju, of Oke Oleyo Oranyan Area Ibadan and Tajudeen Akintunde of Oranyan Area Ibadan who is the chairman of the syndicate were later arrested and the sum of N28, 000 only was recovered from them. Effort is on to arrest other fleeing members of the gang”.

The Police Commissioner further drew the attention of people to the antics and fraudulent acts of the criminals adding that their modus operandi is premised on deceit, false prophecy, fake power of clairvoyance, dubious identification and outright lies with a view of taking advantage of their targeted victims who are usually vulnerable and young persons or minors.

He warned the residents not allow strangers access to their premises under whatever guise no matter how plausible stressing, “citizens should be careful and conscious of their environment and refuse unsolicited offer of assistance, as it might be a ploy by the sweet tongue fraudsters to hoodwink you into misery”.