Police re-arrest pardoned ex-convict [photo]

The police in Oyo State have re-arrested a pardoned ex-convict, Segun Adeleke, for robbery.

Adeleke was among 49 inmates pardoned by the Chief Justice, Justice Muntar L. Abimbola, during his visit to the medium security prison, Abolongo, Oyo, last Thursday.

Parading him yesterday at the state police headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, the Commissioner of Police, Leye Oyebade, said this was the third time Adeleke would be arrested for robbery.

The police boss said: “Adeleke was arrested last Thursday immediately he was pardoned by the chief justice. He was caught robbing Azeez Saheed of his Suzuki motorcycle at Abu village via Akinmorin in Oyo.

“He barricaded the road with logs. He attacked his victim with a broken bottle but Saheed raised an alarm, which eventually led to his arrest.”

In an interview with The Nation, Adeleke confessed to the crime and said he was hungry and had no family.

“I took to stealing again because I was hungry and have no job or family to run to after I was pardoned. I have been in prison since 2010. I am from Oranyan in Ibadan.

“I was only seven years old when I was stolen by a woman, who took me from Ibadan to Oyo. I’m now 39 years old but cannot locate my family.

“I first went to prison in 2009 when I stole money and a mobile phone.

“I was arrested the second time in 2010 for stealing a motorcycle and now again I stole a motorcycle.

“If I can be pardoned, I promise never to steal again,” he said.

Similarly, a 400-Level male student of the Department of Transport, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Kayode Oluwaseyi, who is a “member” of a notorious criminal gang: ‘Three Mopols’, was arrested on November 3 in his hideout by the Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS).

Oyebade said the gang was responsible for breaking into hostels, robbery and rape.

According to the police boss, diligent policing and Oluwaseyi’s confession led to the arrest of Taiwo and Kehinde Adeyemi, who received stolen items from him.

“When Oluwaseyi’s house was searched, a toy gun, seven laptops, 34 mobile phones, an Olympic camera, two television sets, three generators, three stabilising power units, a decoder, six laptop batteries, and N126,500 were recovered,” the commissioner said.

But Oluwaseyi insisted he only steals laptops and mobile phones from students, saying he was not an armed robber.