By Ademola Ade
The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a 21-year-old man, Ayomide Ojo, for alleged vandalism and theft of house-wiring cables valued at N2.692 million in Ogbomoso.
The command also arrested a 17-year-old suspect, Usman Dauda, over the alleged defilement of a three-year-old girl in Saki.
The incidents were disclosed in separate statements on Thursday by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Olayinka Ayanlade, in Ibadan.
Ayanlade said Ojo was arrested by operatives of the Monitoring Unit attached to the Ogbomoso Base during an anti-crime patrol along Bosunla Street.
He said the suspect was allegedly found carrying a sack containing house-wiring cables suspected to have been removed from a building under construction.
“The operatives accosted the suspect while he was in possession of a sack bag fully loaded with house-wiring cables suspected to have been removed from a building under construction within Ogbomoso Township,” Ayanlade said.
According to him, preliminary interrogation led to the suspect allegedly naming one Warris, who is currently at large, as an accomplice.
The police subsequently visited the identified site opposite Akala House, where the owner of the property, Salaudeen Rasaq, allegedly valued the stolen cables at N2.692 million.
Ayanlade said efforts were ongoing to arrest the fleeing accomplice and identify other persons allegedly involved in receiving and disposing of vandalised cables.
“The investigation is ongoing, with concerted efforts being made to apprehend the fleeing accomplice, Warris, as well as identify and arrest other persons involved in the criminal chain,” he said.
On the Saki incident, Ayanlade said the 17-year-old suspect was arrested following a report that the three-year-old girl went missing while being retrieved from school on September 17.
He said the child was later found by the roadside in a distressed condition, while preliminary inquiries allegedly linked the suspect to the incident.
“A localised search subsequently led to her recovery along the roadside in a state of distress, where preliminary inquiries revealed that the suspect had forcefully taken her into his apartment to commit the heinous act,” he said.
The PPRO said detectives visited and secured the alleged crime scene, leading to the suspect’s arrest and recovery of physical evidence.
He said the child had been taken to a medical facility in Saki, where she was receiving clinical and psychotherapeutic care.
Ayanlade said the command maintained a zero-tolerance policy towards child abuse and sexual violence, assuring that the survivor’s identity and dignity would be protected.
“In strict compliance with the Child Rights Act and established ethical protection guidelines, the privacy, dignity, and identity of the survivor and her family will remain fully protected throughout this process,” he said.
He added that the case had been transferred to the Gender Desk of the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Iyaganku, Ibadan, for further investigation and prosecution.
