The Oyo State Police Command has begun prosecuting Timilehin and Feranmi Sokoya, brothers who burgled their way into the apartment of Favour Etunwoke, a resident of the state, and stole three laptops.
On Tuesday, the brothers appeared before a magistrate to stand trial for charges bordering on conspiracy and robbery they committed on May 12.
Etunwoke told FIJ that the police filed the charge and invited him to the court to aid their case against the men who used to be his neighbour.
“We were in court on Tuesday, and the police told us that the Sekoyas’ father returned two of the laptops to them voluntarily,” Etunwoke said on Thursday.
This came four days after FIJ reported on how the police claimed they travelled out of Oyo to apprehend robbers and recover two of the laptops. Those policemen attached to the Osuntokun police station in the Bodija area of Ibadan, refused to return Etunwoke’s laptop unless he paid them an unspecified amount.
READ MORE: ‘You Have to Pay Us’ — Oyo Police Refuse to Release Student’s Laptops Recovered From Burglars
Disappointed, Etunwoke, a student of the University of Ibadan (UI), left the station and did not return. He spoke with FIJ in July and again on August 8.
His first encounter with the Sekoyas occurred in April. They came to live with their father who was his neighbour. That month, they robbed their father, and Etunwoke helped in apprehending them.
After catching them, the two young men issued a threat he later reported to the police. Their father did not press charges and things went back to normal.
Etunwoke travelled in May, only to return a month later to meet his house in disarray. He reported the break-in to the police, and they told him they had found the robbers and two of the laptops. Afterwards, the policemen demanded a bribe.
FIJ called Adewale Osifeso, Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), and he promised to investigate the matter.
After this call, Toyin Ige, Osuntokun Station’s DPO, called Etunwoke and promised to investigate.
Following Tuesday’s development, FIJ called Osifeso again to find out if the policemen faced any disciplinary actions for their role in the extortion attempt. He declined the call and said he was unavailable as of press time.
The matter has been adjourned until September 4.
The post After FIJ’s Story, Police Arraign 2 Brothers Who Broke Into Neighbour’s Apartment appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.