The Ondo State Police Command has arrested 10 illegal immigrants who smuggled themselves and one other individual into Nigeria from the Republic of Benin and Congo.
The command also apprehended a criminal gang responsible for the brutal armed robbery and murder of a 25-year-old man, Nwike Sabbat, which occurred on July 29, 2025, in Ondo City.
Addressing journalists, the Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, said the illegal immigrants conspired to unlawfully bring one Nzaou Yelica Christ-Olse, a 29-year-old Congolese man, into the country without his consent.
The victim was reportedly deceived under the pretense of being assisted to start an online business but was later abandoned by the group upon arrival in Nigeria.
Lawal revealed that some of the individuals possessed expired international passports, while others had no valid travel documents at all, constituting a clear violation of Nigeria’s immigration and anti-trafficking laws. He added that the case has been transferred to the Nigeria Immigration Service and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for further investigation and prosecution.
In a separate development, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Olayinka Olushola Ayanlade, disclosed that operatives from the Yaba Division arrested one Adeife Adewumi, a native of Idanre but resident in Mokola, Ibadan, after he was caught in possession of the victim’s stolen motorcycle.
Adewumi’s arrest led to a broader intelligence-led operation coordinated by the Commander of the Tactical Intelligence Response Squad (TIRS). Acting on his confession, police operatives stormed Ilaramokin in Ifedore Local Government Area at about 2:00 a.m. and arrested two more suspects: Johnson Mathew, 24, from Osogbo, Osun State, and Disu Sunday from Ekiti State both residents of Ilaramokin.
The duo reportedly confessed to being part of the gang that carried out the robbery and murder.
Recovered from the suspects were two locally fabricated cut-to-size guns, one live cartridge, and one expended cartridge.
Further investigation later the same day led to the arrest of 87-year-old Chief Kogbona of Odole Street, Ododo, Idanre, who is believed to be the gang’s arms supplier. A search of his residence yielded ten live cartridges.
Lawal confirmed that all suspects are in custody and that the recovered exhibits have been securely documented as investigations continue.
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽!
