By Adeleke Maria No fewer than 43 suspected criminals were arrested and paraded at the Oyo State Police Command Headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan on Friday. The suspects were paraded for their alleged involvements in armed robbery, cultism, rape, truck highjackers, among others. Briefing journalists at the Command Headquarters Eleyele Ibadan on behalf of the state police commissioner, CP Sonubi Oluyemi Ayodele, the state Public Relations Officer, SP Adewale Osifeso noted that the Command has strategically improved on its engagement and feedback mechanism with key security stakeholders of the Command which includes the civil liberties organization, market forces, student groups, trado-religious institutions and the Police Community Relations Committee towards actualization of a safer and more peaceful Oyo State. Osifeso maintained that the paraded suspected criminals were arrested for crimes and offences including; Kidnapping, Armed Robbery, Murders, rape among others, while weapons such as (1) One Ak-47 rifles, (1) One locally made pistol, (1) One Cut-to-size locally made Extended Cartridge (N2,769,000) Two Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty-Nine Thousand Naira, One MAC Trailer, Vehicles, Motorcycle (1,130) one thousand, one hundred and thirty thousand pieces of cartons of adhesives, were recovered. While speaking on the case of the suspected armed robbery cum kidnapping, SP Osifeso said, “On 30TH August, 2024 at about 0120hrs, some suspected members of a dreaded armed robbery cum kidnapping syndicate who were reportedly armed with sophisticated firearms, cutlasses and some other dangerous weapons allegedly invaded a Herder Camp at Sepetri area of Oyo State.” “The armed gunmen who were allegedly identified by the victims as Nomadic cattle fired gunshots sporadically into the air and after they attacked the aforementioned members of the camp and equally disposed them of mobile phones, huge sums of money and some other valuable items at gun point, the suspects then proceeded to abduct victims and whisk them away to unknown locations where they contacted their respective family members to demand for ransom in the sum of Fifty Million Naira. “In furtherance of the payment operational, technical and intelligence assets were swiftly activated by the Command in concert with some members of a local vigilance groups in the community in a manhunt for the fleeing suspected Person and in the process, (2) two members of the armed robbery cum kidnapping syndicate who identified themselves as Faroq Usman ‘M’ and Aliu Babangida ‘M’ were arrested in connection with the crime. A cash sum of Two Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty-Nine Thousand Naira which was received by the (2) two suspects as their share from the ransom paid by the relatives of the victim was also recovered.” “Through questioning, the suspects confessed to the crime and series of similar armed robbery cum kidnapping attacks they had masterminded at various locations in Oyo State. Investigation continues as further progress, will be communicated.” Suspected armed robbery turn kidnappers are Faruq Usman, aged 28, Aliu Babangida, aged 30; while the sum of N2,769,000.00 only were recovered from the suspects. .
