By Ajibade Alabi
The Zonal Intervention Squard (ZIS), a unit under the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos, has cracked down on a syndicate that has been unleashing terror on the inhabitants of Ado-Odo in Ogun State.
The group, considered worse than kidnap-for-ransom gangs has a penchant for killing their victims and apparently uses their body parts for missions not yet ascertained. About seven members of the deadly group have so far been nabbed while efforts are on by ZIS operatives to track down others already on the Police wanted list.
The syndicate, whose notoriety is to forcefully claim expanse of lands from their owners, ambush them in their farmlands, abduct and ostensibly kill them.
A peculiar case was the alleged kidnapping of 65-year-old Adisa Yusuf and his 17-year-old son, Taofiq. The duos were said to have gone to their farm on Saturday, June 23, 2005 but never returned home till date. Chief Wasiu Ajani, who is the head of Arubielu family which the victims belong to disclosed to our reporter that prior to their sudden disappearance, there had been threat from some identified persons to deal with them should they be seen on the farm.
“Consequently, a formal complaint was lodged with the traditional ruler of Ado-Odo, who dispatched a letter to the alleged James family, to appear in the palace on Tuesday, June 26, 2005, to answer questions on the alleged threat to the lives of Arubielu family members. But, before the appointed date, both father and son got missing. It is common knowledge in Ado-Odo, given the antecedents of these people in question, that they killed them”, Chief Ajani said emphatically.
This age-long criminal act, it was gathered, got to the peak when on March 27, 2019; some hoodlums stormed a portion of land at Igasia Alegbemu in Ado-Odo Council Area, where one Musibau Olawale, a.k.a Long, was working with his boys.
It was also gathered that on sighting the fierce-looking, gun-toting hoodlums, everyone ran to safety. But Musibau (Long) and one Hakeem, a.k.a. Stainless, were not as lucky. The invaders pursued them, suggesting that they were the hoodlums’ major target. The two captives were taken on motorbikes to an unknown destination. Till date, their whereabouts have not been known.
Narrating why and how the two victims ostensibly incurred the wrath of their abductors, Hassan Hakeem, a member of Igasia Alegbemu family said: “On December 1, 2018, Musibau bought 20 acres of land from my family and thereafter sold part of it to one Sotomide. While they were working on the said site, some fierce-looking men stormed the land at about 3:00pm on motorbikes; all armed with such dangerous weapons like guns, cutlasses and waist bands, ordering everyone, including me, to lie down. They gave us the beating of our lives, and even threatened to shoot whoever defied their order. They took away the sum of N500, 000 from Musibau, and another N100, 000 found with Musibau’s younger brother.
“As if that was not enough, the hoodlums also took away a water pumping machine, power generating set belonging to Sotomide and six Bajaj motorcycles we rode to the site. This prompted Musibau to report the incident to the police at Agbara Division, leading to the arrest of three of the suspects and their subsequent arraignment in court. No sooner were they granted bail than they went about threatening to kill Musibau”, Hassan Hakeem stated.
However, CSP Gbenga Megbope, Commander of ZIS, confirmed working on the case when our reporter spoke with him, but declined comments, saying it was not in his purview to brief the press.
