By Our Reporter
The Ogun State Police Command has arrested five suspects in connection with separate incidents of market shop breaking in the Ado-Odo area of the state, recovering stolen foodstuffs and other items.
The Command disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday by the Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Oluborode Opeyemi.
According to the statement, the first incident occurred at about 3:30 a.m. on September 2, 2026, after concerned community members alerted the police to suspicious movements inside a market stall observed by a watchman.
Following the report, patrol teams were immediately mobilised to the scene, where two teenagers, 15-year-old Lateef Kalid and 16-year-old Kareem Jamal, were apprehended inside the shop. Stolen foodstuffs and other items were recovered from them.
The statement said interrogation of the two suspects led to the arrest of 14-year-old Sofiu Alabi, who allegedly admitted to providing the key used to gain access to the shop. The three suspects have since been charged to court.
In a related development on September 4, local security operatives of the So-Safe Corps apprehended two other teenagers, 16-year-old Taofik Abioro and 15-year-old Ogundele Monday, and handed them over to police detectives.
During preliminary interrogation, the two suspects allegedly confessed to participating in multiple shop burglaries across Ado-Odo. Subsequent searches conducted at their premises also led to the recovery of additional stolen items.
The case has been referred for further investigation, while efforts are ongoing to track down an outstanding accomplice.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, commended officers of the Ado-Odo Division for their swift response and praised the So-Safe Corps and members of the local community for their cooperation with the police.
Ojajuni stressed that effective collaboration among security agencies and community stakeholders remained crucial to disrupting criminal networks.
He particularly urged parents, guardians and community leaders to exercise closer supervision over young persons to prevent their involvement in criminal activities.
The Commissioner also advised business owners to strengthen basic security measures around their premises and promptly report suspicious activities to the authorities.
Members of the public can contact the police through the Gateway Shield toll-free line: 0800 000 9111, or the emergency lines 09164859299 and 09154293464.
