By The Oyo State Police Command has arrested multiple suspected criminals involved in kidnapping, armed robbery, ritual activities, car theft, and hijacking, as part of tactical operations executed across the state.
The Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga, disclosed this during a press briefing held at the Command Headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, on Thursday, April 17, 2026, where several recovered items were also paraded.
Addressing journalists, the Commissioner said the briefing was aimed at reinforcing accountability, strengthening public partnership, and assuring residents of the Command’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property.
“It also serves as an avenue to keep the public adequately informed on the operational successes recorded by the Command in recent times, as well as to reinforce public confidence in the Nigeria Police Force,” he said.
Among the major breakthroughs disclosed by the commissioner, on February 24, 2026, the Command’s monitoring unit apprehended a suspected car theft syndicate member, Adegboyega Joseph, described as an ex-convict specialising in stealing vehicles from parking locations. Police investigations led to the recovery of nine Toyota ignition keys, five stolen Toyota vehicles, and the arrest of a suspected receiver, Adebayo Muideen.
In a separate operation on March 6, police operatives arrested four suspected members of an armed robbery gang who confessed to terrorising residents of Ibadan. The suspects were identified as Adeyemi Abiodun Michael, Olaoluwa Ponle, Ahmed Ismaila, and Gbolado Adisa, while other members of the group remain at large.
The Commissioner revealed that Michael was initially arrested while attempting to evade a stop-and-search checkpoint, and his confession subsequently led to the arrest of the other suspects. Recovered items from the operation include a pump-action gun, six live cartridges, two expended cartridges, mobile phones, and stolen vehicles, which have since been returned to their rightful owners.
In another significant development, the Command arrested three suspected ritualists following an intelligence-led operation on April 14 in the Ogbere Tioya area of Ibadan.
An Islamic cleric, Egbinola Tijani, was first apprehended, and his confession led to the arrest of other suspects namely: Alawiye Lateef, Abaniseloluwa Abass, and Kehinde Ajao at different locations within the city. According to the police, items recovered include substances suspected to be human flesh, black pots, and locally prepared black soap believed to have been made from human body parts. Investigations into the case are ongoing.
The Command also disclosed other operations carried out, including the dismantling of an armed robbery syndicate operating across state lines on March 6, 2026. Additionally, operatives recovered a stolen commercial motorcycle from two suspected robbers in Ogbomoso and intercepted 497 bags of maize branded “Presidential Food Security Intervention” at Akufo Settlement in Ido, Ibadan on April 8, 2026.
Items observed by AfrikTimes and documented at the briefing include a pump-action gun, an AK-49 rifle, locally fabricated single and double-barrel guns, cut-to-size firearms, live ammunition, and cartridges.
Others include forged stamps, certificate, passport, ritual paraphernalia, bags of maize, and multiple Toyota vehicles.
