Four suspects have been apprehended for stealing iron rods from a prison construction site in Ilesa, Osun State.
The theft was uncovered when a security team, who preferred not to disclose their identity, revealed that the suspects had successfully removed the iron rods from the construction site.
However, their getaway vehicle was intercepted by members of the Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Service while patrolling at Owode, Ede.
Upon their capture, one of the individuals claimed to be the driver of the vehicle used in transporting the stolen items.
The remaining three suspects were identified as the construction engineer and two artisans working on the project.
One of the suspects, known as Kehinde, admitted to committing the theft, citing challenging economic conditions as their motivation for the crime.
Osun Commander of the NHFSS, Ahmed Nureni, confirmed the incident, stating that the suspects were intercepted late in the evening on Thursday at Owode, Ede, along the Gbongan/Osogbo road.
“They are construction workers on an ongoing government-sponsored project in Ilesa. According to them, the project is related to prison construction, and they had ordered the items just a few weeks ago. They conspired to steal the iron rods under the cover of the night and transported them in a mini-truck. The vehicle was intercepted at Owode, Ede Junction late in the evening on Thursday. We handed the suspects over to the police in A Division, Ede,” Nureni stated.
The Osun Police Command Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, confirmed that the suspects were in police custody and added, “It is true. They are in our custody, and an investigation is ongoing into the allegations against them.”
