A 17-year-old boy identified simply as Ayomiposi Esan has allegedly stolen three mobile phones, two generator sets, a sound system and a Toyota Corolla car belonging to his parents identified as Mr. Oluwafemi and Mrs. Tosin.
The boy ran away with the items after locking his parents inside the house in Ogijo, Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State.
PUNCH Metro gathered that on September 3, 2023, the suspect was said to have broken into the house in the wee hours of the night while the couple were asleep in the apartment.
A source in the area, who did not want to be mentioned because he was not authorised to speak for the family, told our correspondent that it took a joint effort of other residents to free the parents from the apartment after their son fled the scene with the stolen items.
After the victims reported the incident to the Ogijo Divisional Police Station, a Superintendent of Police, Awode Olatunde, led his men in hot pursuit of the suspect, leading to his arrest in Lagos while he (Ayomiposi) was looking for buyers for the stolen items.
The source said, “The boy had successfully sold one generator set he stole. The father is preventing the police from prosecuting the son after his arrest. The police wanted the boy to be prosecuted for his action, but the parents said they wanted him to be released along with the stolen items.”
Speaking on the matter, the state Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, who confirmed the incident to our correspondent on Wednesday, said the force intended to prosecute the boy but could not do so since the parents had opposed it.
Odutola said, “The course of the investigation was truncated by the complainant, who was equally the biological father of the suspect, as he vehemently declined prosecution of his son, one Ayomiposi Esan. He wanted his son and the recovered stolen goods, including the car, released.
“In the spirit of community policing and taking into consideration the image of the force so that police will not be seen as being too harsh on him and his family, the teenage son was consequently released with his property on bond.
“However, the son was counselled, cautioned, and advised to turn a new leaf and shun further indulgence in all forms of delinquency to avoid future occurrences.”
The PUNCH.
