Police talk tough as ‘One Million Boys’ threatens to attack Ogun communities

The police in Ogun State have reacted to a letter, purportedly written by a gang of hoodlums, identified as One Million Boys and allegedly sent to some communities in Abeokuta, the state capital.

The faceless group, in the said letter, informed the people of their coming to rob, warning residents to cooperate by letting go of their belongings.

But the police said they would not allow any hoodlums to fester or hibernate in the state.

The Ogun command warned that it is not perturbed by the mischievous letter because it has what it takes to deal decisively with any criminal gang who may want to infiltrate the state under any guise or nomenclature.

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, in a statement he made available on Friday, informed the State Commissioner of Police, CP Kenneth Ebrimson, has activated all the Command’s tactical squads such as SARS, anti-kidnapping unit, anti-cultists unit, PMF as well as other conventional policemen and put them on red alert with the mandate to deal ruthlessly with anyone or group that may want to make life difficult for law-abiding citizens of the state.

Oyeyemi stressed that the command is not oblivious of the fact that since the commencement of the lockdown ordered by the Federal Government, some hoodlums may want to take advantage of the situation to perpetrate one crime or the other.

He said the police in Ogun would not have dignified the said letter with a response, saying, however, that the response became necessary for the purpose of allaying the fear of the people of the state.

“The attention of Ogun state police command has been drawn to a letter purportedly written by a faceless group who called itself “one million boys” to the good people of Ogun State informing them of their intention to storm the state to carry out criminal activities.

“The command wouldn’t have dignified the said letter with a response, but for the purpose of allaying the fear of good people of the state, the response becomes necessary.

“To start with, the Command is not perturbed by the mischievous letter because we have what it takes to deal decisively with any criminal gang who may want to infiltrate the state under any guise or nomenclature.

“Since the commencement of the lockdown ordered by the Federal Government, the Command is not oblivious of the fact that some hoodlums may want to take advantage of the situation to perpetrate one crime or the other and that informed the decision of the Commissioner of police CP Kenneth Ebrimson to activate all the Command’s tactical squads such as SARS, anti kidnapping unit, anti-cultists unit, PMF as well as other conventional policemen and put them on red alert with the mandate to deal ruthlessly with anyone or group that may want to make life difficult for law-abiding citizens of the state, Oyeyemi informed.

The police, therefore, assured the people of the Gateway State not to panic or be unnecessarily apprehensive.

Speaking further, the PPRO said, “The command also wishes to warn those who are in the habit of sending fake news capable of causing fear in the minds of the people to desist from such a devilish act as the command will be tracing the source of such fake news with a view to dealing with the author in accordance with the existing law of the land.”

“Also, the commissioner of police is using this medium to send a note of warning to those who have formed the habit of taking laws into their hands by embarking on jungle justice to deal with suspected criminals, adding that anybody caught in such act will be seriously dealt with.”

He explained that “a case study at hand is that of four innocent young men that were mistaken for armed robbers who were arrested, beaten and tied both hands and leg by members of the public at Oke Ata area of Abeokuta on Thursday.”

Oyeyemi disclosed that “Save for the quick intervention of policemen attached to the state task force, the four young men would have been beaten to death,” saying the “Commissioner of police has ordered a full scale investigation into the circumstances surrounding the inhuman treatment meted on these young men, with a view to bringing those involved to justice.”