Ondo State Police Command has arrested a man believed to be responsible for a series of violent crimes in Akure, including sexual assaults and armed robbery, police announced on Sunday.
Gatekeepers News reports that the suspect, identified as Olamipekun Elegbeleye, was taken into custody following months of investigation into attacks on women in the state capital.
According to the police, the arrest followed a detailed probe into an incident on November 21, when Elegbeleye allegedly persuaded a woman to ride on his motorcycle, claiming he would take her to the Afunbiowo Housing Estate in Oke Aro.
Investigators say he drove into a bush and, at gunpoint raped the victim and robbed her of her belongings. Further inquiries revealed that he had used this same method against at least four other women at the same spot in separate attacks.
Police operatives eventually tracked the suspect to his hideout using credible intelligence and technical surveillance, leading to his arrest. Authorities recovered items believed to belong to victims, including two mobile phones, two SIM cards, a shirt, and Opay and Moniepoint ATM cards.
The command also reported that Elegbeleye allegedly transferred money from one victim’s account into another, an act now part of the ongoing investigation.
In his statement, the police confirmed that the suspect had confessed to the crimes and was formally charged in court before being remanded at the Ondo State Correctional Centre in Akure while the case proceeds.
Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, reiterated the force’s dedication to cracking down on sexual and violent crimes, pledging that perpetrators would be relentlessly pursued and prosecuted.
He also thanked the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, for his support in improving intelligence-led policing and operational efficiency nationwide.
This arrest comes amid wider law enforcement efforts in the state that have recently seen police tackle other serious crimes, including kidnappings and human trafficking syndicates, with several suspects apprehended and victims rescued in related operations.
