Police nab Kasali, Godogodo’s deputy

ABEOKUTA— Barely two months after a robbery kingpin in the South-West, Abiodun Egunjobi, popularly known as Godogodo, was arrested, his deputy, Adegoke Kasali has been arrested.
He confessed to killing no fewer than 27 security operatives, including former Ogun State Chief Vehicles Inspection Officer, Yomi Bamgbose.
Kasali, 32, said to have been terrorising the entire South-West, Kwara and Kogi states, was arrested Friday last week by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, led by Muhammed Tijani at Obele area of Ogun State, near Cotonou, Benin Republic.

The robbery kingpin was paraded by the police, yesterday, at the headquarters of SARS, Magbon Abeokuta, with other members of the robbery gang identified as Kareem Mumuni, a.k.a. Baba Owo and Lawal Waliu, alias Ijoba.
Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Okoye Ikemefuna, told newsmen that the gang had killed no fewer than 21 policemen since 2011 in the South-West states, Kwara and Kogi.
Recovered
He said that a cache of arms and ammunition recovered from the gang include two AK-47 rifles with 100 rounds of live ammunition, a Wealthier P22 pistol with 49 rounds of live ammunition, 55 live cartridges, two cut-to-size double-barrelled guns, assorted charms and two packets of Lexomil tablets.
Okoye also said that the gang’s female member, Kemi Adesanya, popularly called Special, was currently receiving treatment for injuries sustained during the shoot-out with the police team.
According to Okoye, the gang members had confessed to killing Mr. Bamgbose in 2011 and five policemen attached to the Quick Response Squad at Ijemo Agbadu and Mowe-Ibafo, a year ago.
He said: “The gang has killed 11 policemen in Kwara and Lagos states. The gang was also responsible for the death of five policemen when they snatched a bullion van in Imeko in September 2011 as well as the killing of four members of the Ogun State Vigilance Service and three filling station attendants at Ifo, last June.
“The suspects were also said to have snatched a Range Rover Sports Utility Vehicle from a popular Fuji musician, Wasiu Alabi Pasuma, last August along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
Okoye said: “Kasali was injured in a shoot-out with the police. He led the SARS team to the hide-out of the other members of his gang in Iju-Ishaga area of Lagos State.
“On reaching there, his gang members engaged the team in a shootout. Three of the robbers were killed, while three others were arrested. The others escaped.
“Some items were recovered from them. Efforts are on to arrest other fleeing gang members. The lady amongst them is the most deadly. She was the one shooting at the SARS men.”
Kasali’s confession
Kasali told newsmen that he had personally killed no fewer than seven policemen. The notorious robber, who is physically-challenged due to burns he claimed to have sustained in childhood, said he regretted his involvement in crime.
He said: “This is the work of the devil. I cannot fathom why I’m in armed robbery. It’s beyond my comprehension. I’ve lost count of the policemen I’ve killed, but they can’t be less than seven.
“I was also part of the gang that killed the four vigilance service men and three petrol station attendants in Ifo. That day we operated with Godogodo.
“Godogodo was our boss and he hated policemen. We also killed two people at the Baptist Church in Sango-Ota.
“I want to advise those still engaged in armed robbery to give up. I’ve been in this job in the past seven years.”
Earlier, the police commissioner also paraded five members of a highway robbery syndicate specialised in waylaying trucks loaded with goods on the expressway.
The arrested suspects include Sola Bamigbade, Abidemi Tajudeen, Kehinde Oguntade, Aliu Hamzat and Joseph Ebenezer.
They were said to have robbed a cable wire dealer of goods worth N25 million last week at Ogere along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.