The Oyo State Police Command has arrested five men suspected of belonging to an armed robbery syndicate during an intelligence-driven operation in Ibadan.
The command’s spokesperson, Ayanlade Olayinka, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, saying detectives from the Mapo Divisional Headquarters carried out the operation at about 11:16 a.m. on Wednesday.
He said the officers, acting on credible intelligence, raided a building in the Oke Labo area of Ibadan, where they arrested the suspects and recovered a locally manufactured pistol alongside seven live cartridges.
The arrested men were identified as Ijo Lekan, Abdulateef Ishola, Idowu Rasheed, Azeez Olalekan and Seun Adeniran.
According to the police, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were members of an armed robbery gang and confessed to taking part in several violent attacks and other criminal activities across Ibadan.
The statement noted that some other members of the alleged syndicate were still at large, while the five arrested suspects remained in police custody for further investigation.
It added that the suspects were assisting investigators with information that could lead to the arrest of other gang members and the recovery of additional evidence.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Abimbola Olugbenga, has ordered a thorough investigation into the suspects’ activities and directed officers to track down everyone linked to the alleged criminal network.
The command also urged residents to provide credible and timely information to security agencies, assuring the public of its commitment to protecting lives and property across Oyo State.
