Ngozi Uwujare, Ibadan
The Oyo State Police Command has recovered some illegal fire arms including 65 locally made single barrel guns, 60 rounds Ak47 live ammunition, 504 cartridges and 129 rounds of live ammunition.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abiodun Odude, said 840 arms and ammunition were so far recovered from armed bandits: “The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, is worried by the proliferation of firearms in different parts of the country. He has directed all state commissioners of police and their supervising assistant inspector generals of police to immediately embark on mopping up and recovery of prohibited firearms and ammunition in circulation.
“The Oyo State command has therefore embarked on an aggressive mop-up and recovery of the afore said arms including ammunition. The exercise though ongoing has been successful as caches of such arms and ammunition were recovered from different parts of the state within a short period. Some of the arms were recovered during a mop-up exercise while others were recovered from armed bandits.”
Odude explained that the command arrested over 45 suspected armed robbers, kidnappers, cultists and fraudsters and recovered 23 arms and ammunition from the criminals’ hideouts: “Also, police detectives arrested four suspect armed robbers and kidnappers along Kishi/Igboho.
“They have been terrorizing the peaceful towns of Kishi, Igboho and Igbeti maiming and killing innocent victims after dispossessing them of their money. It was the result of collaboration of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) operatives with the local vigilante. The gang members are Mohammed, Legi and Kire.
“They recovered four locally made single barrel guns, three cutlasses, a Bajaj boxer motorcycle with No. 607 WZ and some amount of money. The SARS operatives also arrested a gang of five armed robbers who looted people property in Iwo Road, Amuloko, Aremo, Oremeji and Agugu all in Ibadan metropolis. The suspects were returning from a successful robbery operation at Sawmill, Egbeda also in Ibadan.
“The suspects are Adeniyi, Sola, Sodiq, Sangodade and Ismaila. Two locally made guns, seven stolen phones, two plasma TV sets, two OX stand fans and gas cylinders and N13, 000. The police detectives also arrested four suspected Eiye confraternity members by SARS operatives. The suspects are responsible for robbery and raping of female victims in the affected area. They are Ayoola, Olayanju, Olaniyi and Qoyun. They recovered two cutlasses, a UTC knife, weeds, suspected Indian hemp and some charms.
“A suspected fraudster, Eze, who belongs to a three-man gang was also arrested by the command. The modus operandi of the gang was to pick unrespecting passengers in a Micra taxi hypnotizing, cajoling and making them part with their money, jewelries and other valuables. They attempted to defraud a female student of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, who had boarded their gang micra car used as bait.
“The gang had operated in Lekki, Lagos, before moving to Ibadan. SARS also arrested Adeolu, a notorious criminal operating in Oyo and Ogun states. He was picked up in his hideout in Ojoo. One hundred and thirty nine pairs of shoes, three bales of lace material/fabric, five bales of Ankara fabric and bags containing asserted children wears were recovered. The suspect will soon be charged to court.”