By Mumini AbdulKareem and Ahmed Ajikobi
Hoodlums and miscreants who partook in the looting of private and government businesses during the EndSARS protest have started returning the items carted away during the period to mosques, churches and other neighborhoods across Ilorin metropolis, National Pilot learnt last night.
Following the incident which grounded businesses and commercial activities, security operatives led by the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Kayode Egbetokun provided a window for the looters with a promise not to arrest or prosecute those who voluntarily return the looted items.
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) in the state have also engaged in a lot of sensitisation activities in Ilorin urging the looters to return the stolen items voluntarily before security operatives launched a manhunt.
To this end, many of the hoodlums have been taking advantage of the advice and have started returning the looted items mostly during the midnight some residents told National Pilot last night. Apart from worship centers, some of the items were also dumped at the river banks and refuse dumps, security officials told this medium.
Some of the areas were some of the items were found include Gambari, Isale Kannike, Akalanbi among other places in Ilorin metropolis, it was gathered.
When our reporter visited Gambari on Sunday, many residents who confirmed the development narrated how some of the looters in the area secretly returned the stolen items.
A resident of the area who simply identified himself as Olayinka said most of the youths both male and female partook in the looting activities adding that some of the items included refrigerators, electric cookers, ovens, washing machine, TV set, home theatres, snacks, beverages among others.”
“We saw some of them carrying different kind of the looted items like electronics, refrigerators, electric cookers, ovens, washing machines, TV sets, home theatres, snacks, beverages among others. After the appeal of the security operatives and imams around our areas, we observed that some of the stolen items were dumped on the streets early morning around midnight. We only saw them in the morning some dumped in the median in the middle of the road. I saw them while having my morning exercise on Monday.
“Our community leaders have to call the security operatives to pick them up.
Also speaking, another resident Tunde told our reporter that around Isale Kannike area of Gambari, the looters dumped on dumpsites around in the community.
“We met some of the items on the dumpsites and raised alarm which the community leaders later called the attention of the security agencies who later come to pick it.
“We met DVD, MP3, TV set, beverages such as packs of milk, bournvita, assorted drink’s among others.”
Confirming the development, the NSCDC Public Relations Officer, Kwara Command, Ayeni Olasunkanmi told this medium that the public have cooperated with the security agencies in returning the stolen items.
“They called us and we went there to pack those items. Kwarans have been so cooperative in this aspect. We’ve been doing our best to pack those abandoned looted materials anytime our attention was drawn to it.”
“Most of the items were found by the road sides along Zango area, isolated areas, river banks, mosque and churches. Others were also discovered inside the hinterlands areas in Ilorin.
“We’ve been called several times and our response had been so swift in many cases. I can’t give an exact figure of what and what was recovered. But in include refrigerators, tricycles, freezers, assorted drinks, different machines, supermarket fittings, furniture items, air-conditioning, and water storex tanks among other items.”
Meanwhile, the Kwara state police command and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) have paraded 178 looters in connection with the incident in their various commands in Ilorin.
Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Egbetokun said the command had arrested 144 suspects in connection with looting.
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Monday, Egbetokun, said that the arrest of the suspects was as a result of combined efforts of security agencies operating in the state.
Egbetokun, who confirmed that two government warehouses and lots of privately owned properties were attacked by the hoodlums, said that the violence was well coordinated and led by hardened criminals.
He said large quantities of looted property have also been recovered, including two vehicles used to cart away the loot.
Egbetokun called on those who still have looted property in their possession to voluntarily surrender them, adding that such people would not be prosecuted.
The CP said that such looted property could be submitted at various religious centres like mosques, churches and even residences of community heads.
He said that arrest of suspects is a continuous process, adding that, “as we are here, more arrests and recoveries of looted property are still being made”.
Also, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Kwara Command has paraded 34 suspected looters of Ilorin shopping mall and other business centers during the protest that rocked the capital city of Kwara State.
A statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Olasunkanmi Ayeni said the suspects have been arraigned at the Magistrate court Ilorin.
He said some of the items recovered from the looters includes: wines and assorted drinks, mattresses, refrigerators, freezers, Plasma TV, shoes and other materials.
The statement added that, the state Commandant of NSCDC, Makinde Ayinla appealed to those who are still in possession of looted items to find a means of returning them before the long hands of the law catch up with them.
The command solicited for intelligence information from all Kwarans over the issue to be able to secure the society better.
