The Oyo State Police Command has announced the arrest of 41 individuals for alleged involvement in crimes such as armed robbery, rituals, kidnapping, murder, and car theft.
Commissioner of Police Ayodele Sonubi revealed this on Friday during a press briefing at the Police Headquarters in Ibadan, highlighting the command’s recent achievements.
Mr. Sonubi stated that various cars, motorcycles, and dangerous weapons were recovered from the suspects. Among the seized items were 11 luxury vehicles, two AK-47 rifles, 1,346 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, and N16 million in cash.
The suspects were apprehended at different locations across the state.
The police commissioner also mentioned that a team of police operatives from the monitoring unit, acting on credible information, intercepted a Toyota Camry on the Oyo-Ibadan Expressway. The sole occupant of the vehicle could not provide a satisfactory explanation for its ownership, leading to suspicions that the car had been stolen.
“The suspect was arrested and, upon further interrogation, confessed that the vehicle was snatched from its owner and given to him by one of his co-syndicate members to be delivered to their criminal receiver in Kaduna State.
“Further investigation later led to the arrest of the kingpins of the gang and six additional members of their inter-state car-snatching cartel.
“Exotic vehicles recovered include three Highlander Jeeps, one Toyota Camry car, one Lexus 330 car, one Toyota Corolla car and one Elantra Hyundai car, which they confessed to have snatched from their owners.
“One K2 rifle and 90 parcels of illicit drugs were equally recovered from the suspects,” he said.
Mr Sonubi further said that the command, while on an intelligence-based stop-and-search operation within Ibadan metropolis, intercepted a Toyota Corolla car and when the car was searched, a sealed bag was discovered to contain a large cache of new AK-47 rifles.
He said that the two suspects in the car were unable to give satisfactory explanations about the prohibited ammunition; hence, they were arrested and subjected to further investigations.
“Upon interrogations, they confessed to be members of a gun-running cartel, which imports various types of sophisticated firearms into the country through the border and supply them to different criminal syndicates.
“Further investigation later led to the arrest of the syndicate’s kingpin in his hideout within Ibadan metropolis, where he was waiting to receive the illegally imported ammunition.
“A huge sum of N16 million cash, which he later confessed was to be paid to the suspects earlier arrested, upon receiving the ammunition, was recovered from him,” he said.
In a related development, no fewer than seven members of a suspected armed robbery syndicate reportedly invaded the Kuola area of Ibadan.
The police chief said the suspects allegedly attacked several houses in the community and made away with their valuables.
He said that the hoodlums killed a night security guard while fleeing the community.
He said that the suspects were later arrested in their hideouts, while two live cartridges, allegedly used to commit the crime, were recovered.
“Upon interrogations, the suspects confessed to the crime and series of previous armed robbery operations they had masterminded at different locations within Ibadan metropolis,” he said.
Leave a Reply