The Ogun State Police Command has detained three suspects: Monsuru Musa, Adija Monsuru, and Shehu Dikko, for allegedly attempting to murder a commercial motorbike rider known only as Tijanni in the Afonta area of Abeokuta, the state capital.
Police source in the area said that the incident happened last Monday at about 6.10pm, left the commercial motorcyclist with severe injuries on the crown of his head, neck, and lower lip.
The problem began when Monsuru stopped Tijanni and asked him to drive her to the Soyeye area from Lafenwa in Abeokuta.
However, when Monsuru arrived at an isolated place near the Soyeye settlement, she reportedly urged Tijanni to stop the motorbike and allow her to phone a friend who was travelling the same way.
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 said 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.
When contacted on Sunday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Odutola Omolola, said the suspects were members of a notorious syndicate and had intended to steal the motorcycle before they were apprehended.
She added 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.”
Last year, operatives of Amotekun Corps in the state also arrested a 40-year-old suspect for the attempted murder of a motorcyclist identified as Mohammed Bashiru in the Remo area of the state.
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.
