The police in Ilorin yesterday paraded a university graduate and two others alleged to be members of a robbery gang that robbed and killed a medical doctor in the Kwara State capital, Dr. Ariyo Adewumi, last April.

The suspects; Adewumi Kayode, 36; Abuiodun Abdulmalik Ojulari, 32, a graduate of Physics and Akeem Afolabi, 31, said to belong to a seven- man gang were paraded to journalists by the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, of the command, Olufemi Fabode.

The late Adewumi, a member of staff of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, UITH, was in April, allegedly attacked and shot dead at his Basin residence, Ilorin, by the robbers. Items recovered from them, according to Fabode, include a double barreled pistol, one live cartridge and one Blackberry bold 2 cell phone.

Fabode while parading the suspects at the command headquarters cleared the air that the motive for the murder of the doctor was purely for robbery and not assassination as earlier widely believed.

He said: "The armed hoodlums also ransacked the deceased house and made away with valuable items such as a Honda Accord car with registration number: AAA 68AU belonging to the deceased wife, two blackberry cell phones, one Samsung Galaxy cell phone, a Plasma TV set, sound system, jewelries and other valuable items.

"In the course of investigation by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, one of the stolen cell phones belonging to the deceased was traced to be in use and it was later recovered from a lady. The arrested suspects confessed to belonging to a seven-man armed robbery gang and that the three of them with two other members; Olatide Oladapo a.k.a. Dampson and one Seun participated in the robbery and killing of the deceased.

"Olatide Oladapo has been arrested and he is presently in police custody in Oyo State in connection with other armed robbery cases, while Seun is still at large.

"Intensive efforts are still being made to track down the receiver of the stolen vehicle with a view to recovering it with other stolen items."

He added that all members of the gang "have been identified as notorious criminals and have been linked to various armed robbery escapades in Ilorin." Speaking with journalists, Ojulari, who claimed to be a graduate of physics from the Uthman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, confessed to have participated in the crime, adding, however, that he did not pull the trigger that killed the late doctor.

"Our intension that day was to go out and snatch cars. Unfortunately, Seun who is still at large shot the man. I don't know why he pulled the trigger. Lack of finance forced me into robbery," the robbery suspect said.

Another suspect, Adewumi Kayode, also confessed to hold a national diploma certificate in business administration from the Kwara State Polytechnic, corroborated the story of his comrade-atarms, Ojulari.