18-year-old employee of a hotel, Ahmed Tijani is currently cooling his heels in police net for alleged possession of unlicensed firearm and armed robbery.
Suspect, who was a cleaner at Lafun Hotel in Omu-Aran, Kwara State, was said to have been arrested by the security guard of the hospitality outfit.
It was gathered that the security guard later handed him over to the police at Omu-Aran Divisional headquarters, penultimate Sunday.
According to a police source, the suspect was assigned by the manager of the hotel to do night shift alongside the security guard on the fateful day and disappeared at midnight for his robbery operation.
“The guard reported that at midnight, the hotel cleaner approached him and said he wanted to defecate outside the premises of the hotel.
“The security guard accompanied him to a dumpsite close to the hotel but within a twinkle of an eye Ahmed disappeared and search for him did not yield result.
“The security guard then returned to his duty post. At about 1:30am, the hotel cleaner returned and could not give satisfactory account of where he was, when he was queried by the guard,” the source divulged.
Pilot Crime gathered that out of suspicion, a search was conducted on him by the security guard, which led to the recovery of a locally made short gun, six mobile phones, stethoscope, two cameras and a set of spanners.
“His inability to give explanation of where he got the items, made the management to bring him to the police station for interrogation. The case was later transferred to Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department of state Command, Ilorin for discreet investigation.
“In the course of police interrogation, the suspect confessed to be a member of a gang of robbers terrorising Omu-Aran axis of the state. He revealed that he went for an operation on the fateful day.
“He gave identity of his other gang members including one Yinka, their leader, who are currently at large. Operatives are working on this lead for arrest of his accomplices,” the source further said.
Efforts to get the state Police Command Spokesperson, DSP Ajayi Okasanmi on the development, proved abortive as calls to his phones were not picked and text message not responded to at the time of filing this report.
