A 21-year-old suspected burglar, Ibrahim Adamu, who disguises himself as a scavenger of condemned iron scraps, has been arrested by the police in Itele-Otta, Ogun State with seven ceiling fans, blades and cable wires, suspected to have been stolen, found on him.
According to the Police, the suspect confessed that he and one Azonto, now at large, specialized in breaking into the premises of unsuspecting members of the public and stealing their valuables, on sensing that occupants of such buildings were away from home. He said Azonto, who hails from Adamawa, pretended to scavenge condemned iron scraps, as with Adamu. He was said to have escaped arrest.
Confirming his arrest, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Omolola Odutola, said after his arrest, a sack was found on him with the stolen items, She mentioned that when he was taken to the station, he played dumb and unable to provide satisfactory information on how he came about the items in his possession.
“No dangerous weapon or gun was found on him; just the sack containing the items mentioned above and, from careful observation, the items are not condemned or disposed of by the owner, but vandalized, useful items. The suspect has been handed over to the state Criminal Investigation Department for discreet investigations, at the conclusion of which, he will be charged to court”.
She added that the state Commissioner of Police, CP Alamutu Mustapha, is abreast of the surge in recent menace constituted by scavengers and scrap pickers, and has mandated the immediate arrest of anyone found vandalizing government property or property of the people in the guise of being a scavenger.