Car thieves open fire on So-Safe officers in Ogun, one arrested
On Friday, some individuals opened fire on members of the So-Safe Corps in Atan, Ado-Odo Local Government Area, Ogun State, believing them to be part of an armed robbery gang that specialized in stealing cars.
However, So-Safe Corps officers managed to capture a gang member after one of them was hurt.
The event happened at around 1:00 am on Friday, according to a statement issued by the State Commander of the Corps, Soji Ganzallo, via the office of the Director of Information and Public Relations of the Corps, Moruf Yusuf.
The four gang members were reportedly seen by the special squad of the corps while on routine patrol at New Life Community in Olokopupo, Atan, “suspectedly strategizing to embark on a criminal activity.” Ganzallo said.
In response to the So-Safe agents’ challenge, the suspects “opened fire at the officers,” according to the statement.
Ganzallo reported that the crew was able to capture one of them and take away from him a locally built pistol with three live rounds.
He named the arrested suspect as Saheed Ade, 33, an Ipokia Local Government resident.
Ganzallo claims that the detained suspect admitted that T. J., Monsuru, and Yusuf, the three gang members who managed to avoid capture, also dwell in Ipokia LG.
Their goal in Atan, according to Ade, was to “steal a Sienna car purchased from their boss, Dao, who lives in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, and to return the Sienna car to him in Cotonou so that he can resell it back to Nigeria in a different color.”
Ganzallo claimed to have instructed the Agbara Area Command of the Corps to assist the police in apprehending the evading criminals.
The Commander stated that the Atan Divisional Headquarters police are looking into the situation and added that the officer of the corps and the apprehended armed robber were both transported to the hospital for treatment of their wounds.
