28-year-old arrested for theft, selling stolen goods in Osun
By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo
A 28-year-old gang leader, Musbau Saheed Ganiyu, has been arrested by the Osun Amotekun Corps for masterminding a series of shop break-ins, phone snatchings, and thefts.
Addressing journalists at the state headquarters of the corps in Osogbo, the commander, Dr. Omoyele Adekunle, explained that Ganiyu’s operation involved posing as a customer to deceive shop owners. He would steal clothes, shoes, and phone accessories, which he then sold at his shop in Iwo.
Dr. Omoyele disclosed that Ganiyu, an ex-convict, operated with a three-man gang consisting of fellow ex-convicts: Afeez Ayuba (27), Awal Adebayo (18), and Ilerioluwa Nurudeen (25). Afeez served as the gang’s motorcycle rider and transporter, Awal acted as a lookout, and Ilerioluwa distracted the victims.
The Amotekun commander said Ganiyu’s luck ran out on September 30, 2024, when Amotekun operatives apprehended him during an attempted operation in the Erin-Osun area. He had tried to withdraw a large sum of money from a Point of Sale (POS) terminal but fled on foot when the operatives intervened. He was later arrested at a hideout in a nearby bush.
Dr. Omoyele recounted the arrest, saying, “Musbau Saheed Ganiyu ran out of luck during one of his operations in Erin-Osun when he tricked a POS terminal operator to withdraw a large sum of money and attempted to escape on a waiting motorcycle. The rider sped off, leaving Ganiyu behind. He fled on foot into a nearby bush, but our motorcycle patrol team followed and arrested him at his hideout.”
According to the commander, Ganiyu had been involved in crime since 2022 and had previously been imprisoned at the Ilesa Correctional Centre. Upon his release, he resumed his criminal activities. Ganiyu was known for using hired motorcycles to survey targeted shops before breaking in. He had caused several POS operators to close down and left many boutique shops empty. His shop in Iwo, where he sold the stolen goods, helped him conceal his criminal activities and pose as a legitimate businessman in the town.
In addition to Ganiyu’s arrest, the Amotekun Corps also apprehended other individuals for various crimes. Olalekan Mashood was arrested for stealing goats in Kuta, near Iwo. Kayode Odesanmi was arrested for posing as a court official and defrauding a woman of N150,000, while Rasheed Abdullahi was arrested for stealing a motorcycle in Omu-Aran, Kwara State.
