Two suspects, Dahunsi Samson and Abiodun Isaac, working with a company handling road construction in Oyo State, were recently apprehended by the Oluyole Security Surveillance Team (OSST) at Idi Ayunre, Ibadan, for stealing iron rods being used for the project.
Also arrested were the tricycle rider, Oluwatosin Vincent, and one Akanbi Taiwo who got him to help convey the rods to a buyer.
The fifth suspect, a night guard simply called Aafa, who allegedly initiated the idea, reportedly ran away when he heard of the arrest of others.
The Commandant of OSST, Olusegun Idowu, who confirmed the arrest, said that three of the suspects were caught in the early hours of the day when conveying the stolen iron rods to an unknown destination.
He stated further that Isaac was later arrested on the same day.
Isaac, who said that he was pushed into stealing the iron rods by the Aafa, confessed: “He was the one who told me that his wife was ill but he had no money to take care of her. I also made him to know that I was earning N45,000 and didn’t have any money with me when we were discussing.
“That was how he told me that we could take the iron rods without anyone knowing. That was when we called Samson to join us. We also called Taiwo who had also once worked in a construction company and knew how to fold the rods. Taiwo was also the one who got the person that would buy them.”
The second suspect, Samson, who claimed to be from Ilesa, Osun State, said that he came to Ibadan three years ago and started working with a construction company working as a checker two years ago.
He told his story thus: “Isaac, also a checker, was the one who called me and said that he wanted to carry some rods which are owned by the company. He had been removing them from the ones he was checking. He begged me to join him in bending the rods to make it easier to carry. He worked with the guard put there.
“We got to where the rods were kept at about 9 p.m., but started bending them after 11 p.m. when the area became quiet. He promised to give me my share after selling them.
“After bending the iron rods, he asked a tricycle rider who had waited to carry the rods to proceed to the place we were taking them to, but we were stopped by the vigilante patrol.
“I had never done such a thing before. I plead with the government to have mercy on me. My wife just put to bed less than two months ago.”
The third suspect, Taiwo, who confirmed being a plumber, said: “I knew Samson where I live at Idi Ayunre, and I used to see Isaac whenever he came to see Samson. I got to know that they were working with the same company.
“It was Samson who called me to ask if I knew anyone who would buy rods his friend wanted to sell. He also persuaded me to help him get a tricycle rider that would not convey the rods to the buyer. That made us to stop a rider to carry out the task. I described the place where he could keep the rods at Orile Odo until he would get a buyer because he told me they were being stolen from where he kept them. I didn’t know that Isaac stole them.”
The tricycle rider denied connivance with the workers who planned the rod theft, saying that he was just waved down along the road to come and carry items to another place.
“I took cassava to Orita Challenge and was on my way back when I was stopped by Taiwo and told to pick some rods for conveyance to Orile Odo. I gave a bill of N7,000. Taiwo stopped me because we live in the same neighbourhood. I didn’t know the items were stolen. I was just doing my job,” Vincent said.
The OSST Commandant said that the suspects would be transferred to Sanyo Division of Oyo State Police Command for further investigation.
