By The Osun State Police Command closed out the week with two unrelated wins against crime, one dismantling a theft-and-receiving operation that stretched from Ilesa to Ibadan, the other stopping a shipment of suspected Indian hemp before it ever reached its Oyo State destination. Command spokesperson Abiodun Ojelabi detailed both cases in separate statements, with Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Zungura weighing in on each.
The ₦3 million burglary that led to a receiver in Ibadan
It started with a break-in on July 26, 2026, when a residence in Osun State was burgled, and items worth roughly ₦3 million were stolen. Police eventually traced the theft to Anuoluwa Eyelade, 27, described by the command as the principal suspect, who was tracked down and arrested in Ibadan, Oyo State, by operatives attached to the Ilesa Area Command before being handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further questioning.
The interrogation cracked the case open further. “During interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime, and further investigation and intensive interrogation led to the suspect’s disclosure that some of the stolen properties had been transferred to a receiver in Ibadan, Oyo State,” Ojelabi said. That lead sent SCID operatives into an intelligence-led operation that ended with the arrest of the second suspect, Musa Abdullah, 28, the alleged receiver of the stolen goods.
Abdullah didn’t deny his role either, according to police. “The receiver confessed to have received the stolen properties and is being investigated for his alleged involvement in the activities of a syndicate dealing in stolen items. He also confessed that he bought an iPhone 12 from the suspect for the sum of twenty-five thousand naira (N25,000),” the statement noted. Recovered from the two men were an HP laptop, a Dell laptop, a small Samsung phone, a charger, two power banks, an Apple iPad and a scrap phone, all suspected to be part of the stolen haul.
Commissioner Zungura praised the operatives for their diligence and intelligence-driven approach and said the investigation is far from over, with the command still working to establish the full scope of the suspects’ activities, identify anyone else connected to the operation, and recover additional stolen property. Both men are expected to be charged to court once the investigation wraps up.
A breakdown on the Moro-Ife Road exposes an Indian hemp shipment
Two days earlier, a different operation unfolded when a vehicle breakdown gave police an opening they weren’t expecting. On August 30, 2026, at around 1:30 pm, operatives from the command’s Violence Crime Response Unit, Team E, were on routine patrol along the Moro-Ife Road when they spotted a silver Toyota Sienna Space Bus, registration BGT 81 OLG, abandoned by the roadside after breaking down.
Something about the scene didn’t sit right with the officers. “The operatives noticed that something was not right, which prompted them to snoop around,” the statement said, and their instincts proved correct. As they investigated, 38-year-old Awo Omotayo, who identified himself as the Sienna’s driver, showed up at the scene with a red Nissan Cabstar, registration EPE 299 YJ, driven by 22-year-old Abayomi Suleiman and accompanied by Oluwatayo Samuel, apparently intending to tow the broken-down vehicle away.
That’s when the search happened. Officers went through the Sienna and found bags of weed suspected to be Indian hemp hidden inside. All three men were arrested on the spot, and the exhibits, along with the three vehicles, were taken to the command for further investigation.
Under interrogation, Omotayo pointed police toward the source of the operation. He told officers a man known as Baba Ibo, who operates around Garage Olode in Osun State, had engaged him to transport the substance to Ogbomoso in Oyo State. Omotayo further alleged that Baba Ibo held the contact details of the intended recipient waiting in Ogbomoso to receive the shipment.
Commissioner Zungura ordered a thorough investigation to trace the substance’s source and its intended destination, and the command confirmed that efforts are ongoing to track down Baba Ibo and anyone else linked to the case. Police have appealed to residents to stay alert and share any credible information that could help apprehend suspects still at large and curb drug trafficking in the state.
