By ThePreview Team

 

The Oyo State Police Command has arrested two suspected armed robbers and recovered a firearm linked to a robbery operation along the Oyo–Iwo Expressway.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Ayanlade Olayinka, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

Mr Olayinka, a deputy superintendent of police, said the incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, following a distress call received at the Police Control Room, Eleyele, Ibadan, reporting that a gang of armed robbers had barricaded the Oyo–Iwo Expressway around Akoda Village in Afijio Local Government Area.

He said the hoodlums reportedly attacked motorists and passengers travelling from a nearby market towards Iwo Town, dispossessing them of their valuables.

He added that some victims sustained machete injuries during the attack, while others were subjected to other violent acts.

Mr Olayinka said upon receipt of the distress information, the Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, immediately directed operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) to move to the scene.

He said the operatives responded swiftly, secured the area, rescued the victims, and combed the scene, leading to the recovery of one single-barreled gun and two clubs believed to have been used by the criminal gang during the operation.

“Further intelligence-driven investigation led the VCRU operatives to the hideouts of the suspects, culminating in the arrest of Abubakar Jape and Sheu Dengi. During interrogation, the suspects confessed to their involvement in the robbery operation.

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“An identification parade was subsequently conducted, during which the victims positively identified them as some of the armed robbers who attacked and robbed them. A search conducted at one of their hideouts also led to the recovery of a rechargeable touchlight belonging to one of the victims,” he said.

The Commissioner of Police commended the professionalism, courage, and prompt response of the VCRU operatives, describing the feat as another testament to the command’s unwavering resolve to combat violent crimes across Oyo State.

He further assured residents that efforts are being intensified to apprehend other members of the criminal gang who remain at large and ensure they are brought to justice.

The command urged members of the public to remain vigilant and continue to provide timely, credible, and actionable information to the Police, as community partnership remains critical to sustaining the prevailing peace and security across the state.