THE suspect
arrested with a Ghana-made triple barrel gun in Iseyin town, Oyo State, Ajibola
Ibrahim (32) a.k.a. Scorpion, has denied the allegation of motorcycle stealing
brought against him, saying that he turned a new leaf after his last arrest and
was working as a political thug when he was arrested.
Crime Reports in
January 25, 2015 publication of Sunday Tribune carried Ajibola’s story, in
which he was accused of stealing motorcycles and shooting one of the owners
when accosted. The triple barrel gun was said to have been recovered from him.
Ajibola, an
indigene of Iseyin town, admitted that the gun was found on him but said that
it was meant for his current job as a political thug, not robbery.
He added that his
accusers were only trying to implicate him because of his criminal past.
Ibrahim had once
been arrested by SARS operatives in Ibadan late 2011 with two others – Saheed
Akere and Toyin Ikudoro – when the law enforcement agents stormed their hideout
in Igbojaye village in Oke Ogun area of the state to arrest them. The name he
gave to the police then was Ibrahim Rafiu.
The leader of the
gang then, one Lanre Ekwueme was shot when he tried to escape arrest by
shooting his way out. They were said to be an interstate robbery gang who stole
motorcycles from owners at gunpoint. Those who were their friends and relations
were not spared as they committed the criminal act brazenly.
In an interview
with Crime Reports, Ibrahim, who said he left prison about six months ago,
disclosed that he was an ardent marijuana smoker and started taking the banned
drug since 2004.
“It is true I was
an armed robber but after I was arrested and remanded in prison in 2011, I made
up my mind to stop.
It was my friend
who took me to Igbojaye village where we were suspected by the villagers. I
rode one of the two motorcycles we took there. We were arrested with two
motorcycles. I knew our gang leader then, Lanre Ekwueme, in Iseyin, though he
was from Akure, Ondo State. We also had two guns.
“SARS operatives
stormed our hideout in the night and arrested two of us while our leader,
Lanre, was gunned down when he tried to escape. I was remanded in prison
custody and only came out about six months ago. The case was struck out.
“Since I came out
of prison, I have been following a politician as a thug. I have been working
for one of the gubernatorial candidates (names withheld) in Oyo State. One of
his boys, popularly called Alubarika Risler, is the one in change of
coordination of the activities of the thugs working for the candidate.
Anytime there was
going to be campaign in any part of the state, Alubarika would call us and we
would come to Ibadan to join the campaign train.
“On the recent
case, I did not steal any motorcycles. I was only roped in because the Iseyin
people knew my history and believed that I was still a dangerous person.
“On Saturday,
January 10, 2015, I travelled from Lagos to Iseyin to attend a carnival taking
place in our town. The gubernatorial candidate I was working for had a campaign
rally in Ibadan on Monday, January 12, so my intention was to go to Ibadan on
Sunday after the Iseyin rally, to prepare for the rally.
“Before I came to
Ibadan, Alubarika came to me in Lagos. He had five guns with him, out of which
he gave me one with three live cartridges. They were all new and he told me he
just bought them. He said I should always have the gun with me anytime we would
be going for campaign.
“After disembarking
from the vehicle that brought me from Lagos, I mounted a bike to get to the
centre of Iseyin town, only to be stopped at a point by some people who said
they suspected me. They searched me and found the gun I had on me. They said
robbers came to the town to take their bikes and they were waiting to see if
they would try to take the bikes out of the town through the route I came in.
They even disclosed that one of them was shot by the armed robbers in the early
hours of same day.
“When I looked at
the people around, I saw some of those who knew I had a criminal case in the
past and I believed that they were the ones who pointed at me as a suspect.
They started beating me and took the gun, my phone, cash (about N74,000) and my
gold chain. They took me to Iseyin police station from where I was transferred
to Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Dugbe, Ibadan. I was not caught with any bike
and I did not shoot anyone.”
Ibrahim said he
was ignorant of the fact that it was criminal to possess a gun unlawfully. “My
parents warned me against going contrary to the law but I am a stubborn person.
This is the result of stubbornness. My past deeds are still haunting me.”
He revealed that
he was called Scorpion “because of my prowess in subduing stubborn cows. I also
trained in boxing, so I have always been known as a tough guy.”
When contacted,
the police image maker in Oyo State, Adekunle Ajisebutu confirmed the story,
saying that the command was still investigating the case.
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