Edo vigilante robs armed robber, carts away with 12 new mobile phones
Two individuals, including a member of the Edo State Vigilante group, have been apprehended for allegedly burglarizing a phone store located in a well-known plaza in Benin City, Edo State.
The Standard Gazette gathered that on 28 May, around 11 pm, Titus Danjuma, who is from Nasarawa State, went to a phone shop located at Ikpoba Hill and stole 17 brand new mobile phones.
He ran to Ahor village the same night, where members of the vigilante group accosted him on 29 May at 1 pm.
The vigilantes searched and found the stolen items, retrieved them, and beat Titus without detaining and handing him over to the police, TSG learned.
After being notified of the incident, the Aduwawa police station promptly launched an investigation. The plaza staff were given copies of the CCTV footage for review, in addition to the police receiving their own copy.
A member of the plaza staff spotted the robber on the CCTV footage in Aduwawa and promptly alerted others before the culprit was apprehended.
The suspect admitted to the police that he had been held by vigilante members who forcefully took his phones and shared their contents.
The leader of a vigilante group, Ozo Obasuyi, was arrested by the police at his residence. During the arrest, they discovered five phones in his possession, as well as illegal firearms and ammunition, including a pump action gun, two live cartridges, and a bulletproof jacket.
Narrating how his stolen phones got stolen by the city security vigilante, Danjuma said, “I hail from Nasarawa state and came to Benin city to see my friend. I became stranded and need to survive. I then choose to raise money to sustain myself. I was earlier in the shop to check how I can enter when I come back in the night. I broke into the shop around 12 midnight and stole 17 mobile phones, but the vigilante members collected all the phones from me when they caught me. I left it for them. I was arrested in a church compound at Aduwawa. I regret my action.”
The second suspect, Obasuyi, said, “I am the vigilante leader at Ahor near Benin city. My boys caught the man with mobile phones and handed them over to me. I was supposed to turn them in to the police, but l kept them. I regret my action. I plead for forgiveness “.
The Police Public Relations Officer of Edo State, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, issued a warning to criminals to either leave the state or face severe police action.
The police are now broadening their investigation to retrieve additional stolen mobile phones from the store.
©Standard Gazette
