Ogun Police: Alleged Motorcycle Thief Rescued After Forced Poisoning

Police in Ogun State have reported that a man accused of stealing motorcycles, Timothy Ashamu, was allegedly made to swallow a suspected poisonous substance by residents of Oke-Odan in Yewa South Local Government Area. DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, spokesperson for the state police command, announced the development in a statement issued Monday, November 9, 2026. According to him, Ashamu had been accused in October of robbing Adetunji Vincent of a Bajaj motorcycle along Agosu Road, Oke-Odan. Babaseyi said further police findings indicated that Ashamu allegedly admitted taking more than three motorcycles and reportedly used hammers, sticks and cutlasses to rob victims. The case took a dramatic turn when, according to the account, three people confronted Ashamu at a farm in Oke-Odan and allegedly forced him to ingest a substance believed to be Gamaline. Babaseyi said detectives from the Owode-Yewa Division moved quickly after the incident was reported, rescued Ashamu and took him to a hospital in Owode-Yewa. He was receiving treatment and responding, the spokesperson said. Acting on information from the victim, the detectives went to Ihunbo and arrested Abiodun Oniyide, also known as Aje Alaje. Ashamu later identified Oniyide as one of the people allegedly involved in giving him the substance, according to police. A container thought to have held Gamaline was recovered as an exhibit, Babaseyi said. The arrested suspect remained in custody while police continued efforts to find others allegedly connected to the incident, he added. The case was being prepared for transfer to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, for discreet investigation. The command advised residents to report suspected crimes without delay and not to take the law into their own hands. Babaseyi said the incident highlighted a core principle of professional policing: the protection of human life does not depend on a person’s innocence or perceived character. He said the law does not allow private individuals to decide or carry out punishment for those suspected of serious offences. Criminality, he said, should be handled through lawful arrest, investigation and prosecution, never through retaliation, torture or attempted murder. He added that the police’s quick intervention underlined the value of professional policing and the protection of every life.