The Oyo State Police Command has arrested two suspected armed robbers and recovered a firearm believed to have been used during a highway robbery operation along the Oyo-Iwo Expressway in Afijio Local Government Area.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Tuesday in Ibadan.
According to the statement, the robbery occurred in the early hours of Sunday after the Police Control Room in Eleyele received an emergency report that armed men had blocked the Oyo-Iwo Expressway near Akoda Village.
The suspects allegedly attacked motorists and passengers travelling from a nearby market towards Iwo, robbing them of their belongings. Some victims also sustained machete injuries during the incident.
Following the distress call, the Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga, directed operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) to immediately respond to the scene.
The police team secured the area, rescued affected victims and conducted a search of the crime scene, leading to the recovery of a single-barrel gun and two clubs believed to have been used by the robbery gang.
Subsequent intelligence-led investigations led officers to the hideouts of two suspects identified as Abubakar Jape and Sheu Dengi, who were arrested during the operation.
Police said both suspects confessed to participating in the robbery during interrogation. An identification parade was later conducted, during which victims reportedly identified them as members of the gang responsible for the attack.
A search of one of the suspects’ hideouts also led to the recovery of a rechargeable touchlight said to belong to one of the robbery victims.
The Commissioner of Police commended the swift response and professionalism of the officers involved, describing the operation as another significant success in the command’s efforts to combat violent crime across the state.
He assured residents that investigations are ongoing to apprehend other members of the robbery gang who remain at large and urged members of the public to continue providing useful information that could assist security agencies.
The Oyo-Iwo Expressway, which connects communities in Oyo and Osun states, has experienced occasional incidents of highway robbery, particularly during early morning and late-night hours. Security agencies have continued to strengthen patrols and intelligence gathering along the route to improve safety for motorists and other road users.
