Men of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested three teenagers for allegedly killing a commercial motorcyclist, Bashiru Umaru, in Iperu, in the Ikenne Local Government Area of the state.

The teenage suspects reportedly stole the victim’s motorcycle after perpetrating the crime.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, in a statement on Thursday, said the teenagers, Sodiq Awokoya, 18; Odunayo Samson, 18; and Jimoh Rilwan, 17, were arrested while attempting to sell the motorcycle.

Oyeyemi added that the suspects were arrested last Friday at the Tollgate area of Ogere, where they had gone to sell the deceased’s motorcycle.

He said, “The buyer, who demanded the documents of the motorcycle before he could buy it, became suspicious when the three suspects gave conflicting accounts of how they came about the motorcycle.

“The buyer there and then secretly informed the police at the Ogere divisional headquarters, consequent upon which the Divisional Police Officer, Ogere, CSP Abiodun Ayinde, led his men to the scene and got the three suspects apprehended.

“On interrogation, they informed the police that the motorcycle was stolen from Iperu Remo, and they were subsequently handed over to the police in the Iperu division.

“Coincidentally, it was the time relatives of the deceased came to lodge complaints about their missing person that the police brought the suspects from Ogere with the stolen motorcycle.”

On sighting the motorcycle, the PPRO said the family quickly identified it, and informed the police that it belonged to their missing brother.

“Upon the information, the policemen intensified investigation into the case, and the suspects later confirmed that they actually snatched the motorcycle, and that the owner was tied to a tree in the bush,” Oyeyemi added.

In a bid to rescue the victim, the police spokesman said detectives quickly led the suspects to the bush.

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He added that when the police team got there, it was discovered that Umaru was killed before his motorcycle was put up for sale.

“Further investigation revealed that Samson Odunayo was the person who called the deceased to take him to somewhere in Iperu, unknown to the Okada man that he had already informed Sodiq Awokoya to wait in the bush along the Ona Eri area of Iperu with a cutlass and other weapons.

“On getting to the point, Samson Odunayo ordered the deceased to stop because he had got to his destination. While the deceased was waiting to collect his money, Sodiq Awokoya came out with a cutlass and hacked him down.

“While wriggling in pain, Samson Awokoya moved near him and squeezed his neck until he gave up the ghost. They searched his pocket and found the sum of N5,500, which they also took away,” the PPRO said.

Oyeyemi said investigation showed that the incident was the second robbery operation of the suspects.

He said, “Their first victim was saved from being killed by the intervention of Jimoh Rilwan, who appealed to the other two to spare the life of the victim having robbed him of a cash sum of N4,500.

“That was the reason why Samson and Sodiq did not carry him along during their second operation. The motorcycle and the cutlass used in killing the deceased have been recovered.”