Two Men Arrested For Allegedly Stealing 15 Goats

Police in Osun State have arrested two suspected livestock thieves who allegedly specialized in stealing goats from the areas of Osogbo, Ikirun, Obagun, Iree, Eripa, Otan-Ayegbaju, and Ila.

Safer Highway patrol police officers arrested the two suspects, Naheem Ibrahim, 46, and Suraju Isiaka, 33, while conducting a stop and search of vehicles in the Odeomu-Sekona axis, when they were attempting to transport the animals to Lagos in a Lexus SUV.

Following a police search, it was discovered that the suspects had 14 life and one dead goat (she-goat) to sell to prospective clients in Lagos State.

When police discovered the stolen animals, they promptly arrested the perpetrators and sent them to the Osogbo police headquarters for questioning and further investigation.

Investigation reveals that the suspects strike when the goat owners have gone to bed and the night watchmen hired to keep an eye on the villages have not yet started their shifts.

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According to the investigation, locals in these areas have been confused over the disappearance of their goats and have even accused one another of stealing them at times.

The perpetrators were travelling to Lagos in a Lexus SUV with the animals they had kidnapped from various areas, according to the command’s spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, who verified the arrest.

“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 claimed that the suspects admitted to operating between the hours of 8 and 10 p.m. when night guards at various sites report for duty and that the goats were typically sold for between N5,000 and N10,000.

“They confessed how they usually operate. They always target the time night guards will assume duty and ensure they finish their operations before then. They also revealed in their confession how they sell the stolen goats between N5,000 and N10,000 to their prospective customers.

“We are still investigating the matter and ensure that all their accomplices are brought to Justice,” Opalola stated.

“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 the two inter-state livestock robbers.”

The PPRO stated that immediately after the investigation is finished, the suspects would be charged in court.

Using the argument that everyone has a role to play in crime prevention, detection, and control, he urged the general public to exercise constant security awareness and report any suspicious faces they may encounter in their local neighbourhoods.

One of the animal owners, however, praised the police officers who apprehended the thieves and claimed that each of the goats, which they admitted to selling for between N5,000 and N10,000, are now worth between N30,000 and N40,000.

“Every day, we woke up to discover that one or two goats were missing and we continued wondering who was behind the goat theft in our community in Eripa. I have visited the police headquarters to identify my own so others whose goats were also stolen or missing came as well for identification,” she said.