Every day is for the thief and one day is for the owner of the house.
It was a day of a nemesis for two suspected men who usually invade Osun communities to steal their goats as they reportedly met their Waterloo in the hands of operatives of the highway patrol policemen, who were on a routine surveillance and check of motorists plying the Odeomu-Sekona-Ibadan road.
The operatives while on a routine stop and search of vehicles arrested the two suspects aged 33 and 46 while they were making an attempt to move the animals to Lagos inside a Lexus SUV.
Upon police search, it was discovered that the suspects were in possession of 14 live goats and one dead goat, bringing the number to 15 goats they were reportedly taking to sell to their prospective customers in Lagos State.
Upon discovering the animals, the policemen who arrested them immediately moved the suspects and the stolen goats to the police headquarters in Osogbo for questioning and further investigation.
Some of the communities where the hoodlums stole the goats are Osogbo, Ikirun, Obagun, Iree, Eripa, Otan-Ayegbaju, and Ila.
Their modus operandi is to target the time the owners of the goats have gone to bed and also the time the night guards employed to watch over the communities were yet to assume duty daily.
Investigation showed that residents of these affected communities have been wondering how their goats were reported missing without traces.
Sometimes most of the owners suspect their neighbors unknown to them that there are intruders invading their communities from another state to perpetrate evil.
According to a statement by the police spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, the suspects were heading to Lagos in a Lexus SUV with the animals stolen across Osun State when they were intercepted by the policemen.
She said: “Today, May 10, 2023, around 3.10 am, a police team from Safer Highway Patrol along the Odeomu-Sekona axis, arrested the above-named suspects in possession of 14 live goats and one dead goat (she-goat).
“Upon interrogation, they confessed to having stolen the goats from different locations in Osogbo, Ikirun, and lla-Orangun to be sold to one lya Bisola at Mile-12, Lagos State. More so, the suspects confessed to have been operating in Osun State since 2019.”
She said the suspects confessed that their time of operation was between 8 pm and 10 pm before night guards at various locations reported for duty, adding that the goats were usually sold between N5,000 and N10,000 each.
“They confessed how they usually operate. They always target the time night guards will assume duty and ensure they finish their operation before then. They also revealed in their concession how they sell the stolen goats between #5,000 and #10,000 respectively to their prospective customers.
” We are still investigating the matter and ensure that all their accomplices are brought to Justice, ”
Consequently, the residents of these communities – Osogbo, Ikirun, Obagun, Iree, Eripa, Otan-Ayegbaju, and Ila, whose goats were stolen have been invited by the police to come for parade identification and possible collection.
“This is to inform the general public, especially the residents of Osogbo, Ikirun, Obagun, Iree, Eripa, Otan-Ayegbaju, and Ila, whose goats are missing between 9th and 10th May 2023, to report/come to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Police Command Headquarters, Osogbo, for possible identification and collection.
“Osun State Police Command has told residents of the state to check at the state command headquarters in Osogbo for their missing goats, following the recovery of 15 goats from two inter-state livestock robbers.”
One of the residents who spoke with our correspondent but pleaded to remain under the condition of anonymity said “Every day, we wake up we discover that one of two goats was missing and we continued wondering who is behind this goat theft in our community in Eripa.”
She said, “I have visited the police headquarters to identify my own so others whose goats were also stolen or missing came as well for identification.”
Asked if she paid money before collecting, she said that immediately after the owner is able to identify her own goat, she would just collect it without paying a dime.
She commended the policemen who intercepted the criminals saying each of the goats confessed to having been selling between #5,000 and #10,000 is sold for between N30,000 and N40,000.
She urged the police to do more investigation to apprehend the said woman in Lagos whom they claim buy the stolen goats.
The police spokesperson, however, said the suspects would be charged to court soon after the investigation is concluded.
She called on the general public to be security conscious at all times and report any strange face found in their respective communities saying the job of crime prevention, detection, and control is for everybody.
The Hope
