The Police in Ondo State on Friday arraigned a 35-year old automobile technician, Jimoh Rasaq, before an Akure Magistrate’s Court over alleged involvement in serial armed robbery and forgery.
Rasaq, who identified himself as a car dealer, is facing charges of conspiracy, armed robbery and forgery preferred against him by the police.
According to the prosecutor, Inspector Suleiman Adebayo, the defendant and others at large committed the offences on September 13, 2024, at about 2:30 p.m. in the Alagbaka area of Akure, within the Akure Magisterial District.
Adebayo alleged that Rasaq, armed with guns and other dangerous weapons, robbed one Okoye Paul of a Toyota Corolla with Number plate DAL 404 SQ, valued at ₦9 million.
He was also accused of robbing one Wasiu Gbenga of an unregistered Kia Rio worth ₦5 million.
The defendant was further alleged to have forged documents for the stolen Toyota Corolla, with the intent to make them appear genuine and issued by a licensing office.
The prosecutor informed the court that Rasaq was arrested and handed over to the police for prosecution.
He noted that the offences contravene Sections 5 (A & B) and 1 (2) (a) and (b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap. 174 Vol. 4, Laws of Ondo State, 2006, as well as Section 465 and are punishable under Section 467 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37 Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State, 2006.
Adebayo, therefore, asked the court to remand the defendant at the Olokuta Correctional Centre pending advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
However, defence counsel, E. Elabi, sought an adjournment to enable him to file a counter-affidavit after the court declined the defendant’s plea.
In his ruling, Magistrate Damilola Sekoni ordered the defendant’s remand in police custody and adjourned the matter until November 17 for hearing on the application.
It will be recalled that Rasaq was earlier arrested by operatives of the command for allegedly conspiring with a fleeing suspect to sell stolen vehicles.
He has maintained that he was unaware that the vehicles were stolen, claiming that the suspected serial car thief, who posed as a customer, brought the vehicles to him for repairs in Offa, Kwara State, before putting them up for sale.
According to him, he only discovered after his arrest that the vehicles had reportedly been stolen from where they were parked in Kano and transported to Offa for sale.
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽!
