Police arrest 3 for attempting to strangle a motorcyclist to death

Operatives of Ogun Police Command, have arrested three suspects for attempting to murder a commercial motorcyclist, Tijanni, in the Afonta area of Abeokuta, Ogun State Capital.

The suspects were identified as - Monsuru Musa, Adija Monsuru, and Shehu Dikko.

A police source, who preferred not to be mentioned in this report, as he wasn’t authorised to speak, stated that it happened on Monday, March 4, 2024, at about 6:10 pm.

According to the source, the assailants left the commercial motorcyclist with severe injuries on the crown of his head, neck, and lower lip.

It was gathered that trouble started when Monsuru stopped Tijanni and asked him to take her to the Soyeye area from Lafenwa in Abeokuta.

However, upon reaching an isolated area just before the Soyeye community, Monsuru reportedly asked Tijanni to halt the motorcycle and allow her to call her friend who would be travelling the same route.

Shortly after she made the call, two other suspects, Musa and Dikko, arrived at the scene and joined Monsuru on the motorcycle.

While turning the ignition of the motorcycle on, the police source said Musa and Dikko attempted to strangle Tijanni by tying a rope around his neck and tightening it firmly.

While this was happening, Monsuru was said to have picked up what was believed to be a large piece of wooden plank and allegedly hit the motorcyclist on the head, causing him to scream for help.

The police source added that other motorcyclists, residents, and a team of police officers stormed the scene and apprehended the three suspects before they could escape through a nearby bush.

Ogun Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Odutola Omolola, who confirmed the incident, said the suspects were members of a notorious syndicate and had intended to steal the motorcycle before they were apprehended, adding that the victim had been taken to a hospital for medical treatment.

She said, “The female passenger had borrowed the motorcyclist’s mobile phone because she wanted to call a friend who was travelling the same route. But two people arrived at the scene. The three suspects are members of the same syndicate. They specialise in stealing motorcycles. They have been arrested and will be prosecuted.”

This incident happened a few months after the operatives of Amotekun Corps in the state arrested a 40-year-old suspect for the attempted murder of a motorcyclist identified as Mohammed Bashiru.

The suspect was believed to have also pretended to be a passenger and used a knife to cut the victim on the right side of his neck before taking away his motorcycle.