The Oyo state Police Command said it has arrested 21 suspected dare devil criminals and armed robbers terrorising the residents of the city of Ibadan and environs between January and March this year.
The 21 suspects, according to the police would soon be charged to court for prosecution immediately after investigation is concluded.
According to a report by The Nation, the iItems recovered from the suspects included exotic vehicles, mobile phones, motorcycles, tricycles, locally made pistols, live cartridges , cutlasses, criminal charms, axes, ATM card, driver’s license and the sum of twelve thousand five hundred and fifty naira cash .
Speaking with newsmen at the Eleyele, Ibadan police headquarters on Monday during the parade of the suspects, the Oyo state Police Commissioner, Mr Shina Olukolu, said the command was poised to nip in the bud activities of criminal elements, adding the arrest of the 21 armed robbery suspects was part of the efforts to stamp out crimes and criminality in the state.
Among the achievements of the command in the attempt to flush out criminal elements, was the recovery of hijacked truck loaded with 22 brands of new tricycles intercepted at gun point from the driver, one Mohammed (m) and two motor boys around Akinyele trailer park, Ibadan, along Ibadan/Oyo Expressway by unknown gun men.
“Sequel to this, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) operatives led by CSP Olusola Aremu swung into action and this led to the recovery of the truck with 18 out of the 22 tricycles at Sagamu in Ogun state,” the Commissioner of Police said.
Some of the 21 armed robbery suspects arrested by the police included a prime suspect, Gabriel Olatunji (m), and four criminal receivers, Lekan Ajayi (m), Ismail Ogunsola (m), Akin Alonso (m), and Tope Ezekiel (m) .
Items recovered from them are five exotic cars including a Honda Accord car with registration number MUS 481, Toyota Camry car with registration number LSR 514 EH, Toyota Camry car with registration number FE 379 LND, Toyota Camry car with registration number KJA 747 BH , and Honda Bull Dog car with registration number KEY 827 ET.
According to the Commissioner of Police, on March 17, 2019, around 9.30 pm , one Saidi Eniola was attacked and dispossessed of his Toyota Camry car at Iyana Church area of Ibadan by some unknown hoodlums armed with guns and some other dangerous weapons , and consequent upon this, a distress call with put across to the police who later arrested the prime suspect and four criminal receivers .
Speaking further on the arrest of two prime suspects, Adeleke Fatai (m), and Opoola Muritala (m), and others at Oyo town, the state Police Commissioner narrated how some notorious hoodlums who specialises in attacking motorcyclists and dispossessing them of their motorcycles in different part of Oyo state were arrested by his men.
“Sequel to a distress call, a team of SARS operatives led by CSP Sola Aremu swung into action and in the process, two of the hoodlums who later identified themselves as Adeleke Fatai and Opoola Garuba were arrested in their hideout.
“Upon interrogation, they confessed to have masterminded series of such criminal activities in various parts of Oyo state. The confessional statement later led to the arrest of four of their criminal receivers. Meanwhile, five Bajaj motorcycles which they confessed to have snatched from their owners were recovered from the hoodlums and the criminal receivers,” he said.
