The Ogun State Police Command has confirmed the death of a motorcycle thief, John Udoh, who was killed by a mob in the Atoyo Okeigbo community, Sagamu, during the early hours of Friday.
Udoh, alongside his accomplice, Peter Ubong, was part of a five-member gang that broke into the residence of Emeka Ruben, stealing his motorcycle, valued at ₦1.2 million.
Spokesperson for the State Police Command, SP Omolola Odutola, explained that the gang had targeted Ruben’s home at around 2:00 a.m., but the alarm raised by the victim drew the attention of local youths who quickly mobilized and apprehended both Udoh and Ubong.
The two were subjected to a severe beating by the angry crowd, which led to Udoh’s death, later confirmed by doctors at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital in Sagamu.
Ubong, however, survived the attack but remains in critical condition at the hospital.
The rest of the gang, identified as Adaka, Stephen, and Jeresy, managed to flee the scene, taking with them the stolen motorcycle.
The suspects, during their interrogation, admitted not only to the current theft but also to being responsible for the disappearance of 15 solar-powered streetlights from the community and two other motorcycles in previous robberies.
They also revealed that their other criminal activities spanned across the Sagamu division, specifically mentioning their involvement in burglaries in the Ajaka area.
Odutola detailed the chain of events, stating, “On October 18, 2024, at about 7:20 hrs, the CDA Chairman of the Atayo Okeigbo community, Aruba Sagamu, Ogun State, reported via phone that a group of thieves invaded the community around 2:00 AM. They broke into the home of one Emeka Ruben ‘M,’ stealing his Lifan rubber motorbike valued at 1.2 million naira (#1,200,000.00). Upon hearing his cries for help, at midnight, several youths intervened by moving into the victim’s residence, apprehending one Peter Ubong, a 22-year-old from Cross River, and John Udoh, along with their operational motorcycle (registration number SGM 387 WB).”
She further explained that the remaining three members of the gang successfully escaped, adding, “Meanwhile, three others, named Adaka, Stephen, and Jerssy, managed to flee with the stolen motorcycle. The arrested duo confessed that they were part of a five-member group responsible for the theft of fifteen solar streetlights previously stolen from the community, as well as two other motorcycles.”
Both Udoh and Ubong provided critical information about their accomplices, leading police to expand their investigation into the Ajaka district, with efforts now focused on tracking down the remaining gang members.
“They provided the names of their accomplices involved in the crime in Ajaka, a part of the Sagamu division, and admitted to committing other burglaries in the Sagamu area,” Odutola noted.
As investigations continue, the command has pledged to pursue all leads to ensure the capture of the fleeing suspects and the recovery of the stolen items. Meanwhile, Udoh’s body has been deposited at OOUTH’s morgue, while Ubong fights for his life in the hospital.
