Alarm in Ogun as police nab five teenagers over serial shop burglaries, recover stolen food items

In an alarming development that highlights the rising wave of juvenile delinquency, the Ogun State Police Command has arrested five teenagers in connection with multiple cases of shop breaking and burglary in the Ado-Odo area of the state. The suspects, whose ages range between 14 and 16, were reportedly caught during coordinated operations that joined local vigilantes, community watchmen, and state police operatives in a unified dragnet designed to curb petty thefts and organized burglaries.

According to a formal statement issued by the Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Oluborode Opeyemi, the crackdowns began in the early hours of September 2, 2026. At about 3:30 a.m., alert market security guards noticed suspicious movements inside a lock-up stall. Upon mobilizing police patrol teams to the scene, officers allegedly apprehended 15-year-old Lateef Kalid and 16-year-old Kareem Jamal inside the shop. Recovered from their possession were stolen foodstuffs and other vital inventory belonging to local merchants.

Subsequent investigations quickly revealed a deeper network of underage collaborators. Under interrogation, the duo reportedly implicated 14-year-old Sofiu Alabi, who allegedly confessed to providing the key used by the burglars to gain access to the premises without raising immediate suspicion. While these three suspects have already been charged to court, a parallel operation by the state's specialized security outfit, the So-Safe Corps, netted two other teenagers on September 4, identified as Taofik Abioro, 16, and Ogundele Monday, 15.

The state command has confirmed that the latter suspects confessed to participating in several other shop burglaries across Ado-Odo, leading detectives to recover additional stolen property from their respective residences. Meanwhile, police authorities have launched a manhunt for a remaining adult accomplice who is believed to have facilitated the disposal of the stolen goods and is currently on the run.