The Lagos State Police Command has revealed the identities of the suspected killers of Adeniyi Sanni, a senior aide to Senator Solomon Adeola, who represents Ogun West at the National Assembly.
In a press statement, the Commissioner of Police, CP Idowu Owohunwa, disclosed that the suspects were part of a transborder criminal syndicate funded by an individual known as ‘Alhaji,’ based in Benin Republic.
The arrested suspects are Fred Okuno, a 43-year-old resident of Lagos, Lucky Michael, a 33-year-old from Delta State, and Adedigba Segun, a 26-year-old from Ibadan, Oyo State. According to the police, these individuals frequently posed as soldiers to deceive their targets.
The breakthrough in the case came as a result of a meticulous investigation conducted by the police.
Senator Adeola had initially claimed that suspected soldiers were responsible for the killing of his aide on August 5, 2023. According to a statement by his Media Adviser, Kayode Odunaro, the senator believed that his aide had fallen victim to a “syndicate of soldiers” operating under the command of Brigadier General A.M Adetuyi of the 9 Brigade, Ikeja Cantonment, who were mounting checkpoints and robbing lone occupants of cars. The Nigerian Army had launched its own investigation into the matter.
However, CP Owohunwa stated on Monday that the investigation had revealed a different picture. He explained that the gang, which received both arms and financial support from ‘Alhaji’ in Benin Republic, specialized in robbing motorists of their unregistered vehicles, especially Tokunbo (fairly used imported vehicles) or brand-new unregistered cars. The gang typically operated by stationing a member near Berger Bus Stop to spot unregistered vehicles on the road. This spotter would then inform the gang members, who would be dressed as military personnel, about the approaching target vehicle.
The gang member in military uniform would flag down the vehicle, and the belief that they were dealing with genuine soldiers often led drivers to comply. Once stopped, the gang would request vehicle documents to further create the illusion of military authority. This was the method employed when Adeniyi Sanni was accosted and killed.
CP Owohunwa also revealed that the three suspects had previous records of imprisonment. Fred Okuno, for example, had been arrested for drug-related crimes and spent time in jail between 2010 and 2015. He was released but was rearrested in 2021 for armed robbery. Lucky Michael had also served time in Kikri prison from 2019 to 2022. The third suspect had been incarcerated at Agodi and Kirikiri correctional centers.
The police commissioner expressed concern about the role of prisons in breeding criminals, as these suspects had formed their criminal gang and were members of ‘Alhaji’s syndicate during their time in prison. He emphasized the need to address this issue and prevent prisons from becoming incubators for criminal activities.