The Oyo State Police Command has arrested two suspected armed robbers and recovered a firearm allegedly used in a robbery operation along the Oyo-Iwo Expressway in Afijio Local Government Area.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, disclosed the development in a statement issued in Ibadan.
According to the statement, the incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, July 5, 2026, after the Police Control Room at Eleyele received a distress call that armed robbers had blocked the Oyo-Iwo Expressway around Akoda Village in Afijio Local Government Area.
The suspects reportedly attacked motorists and passengers travelling from a nearby market towards Iwo Town, dispossessing them of their valuables. Several victims also sustained machete injuries during the attack.
Following the distress call, the Commissioner of Police, CP Abimbola Olugbenga, immediately deployed operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) to the scene.
The operatives swiftly secured the area, rescued the victims and conducted a thorough search of the crime scene, leading to the recovery of a single-barrel gun and two clubs believed to have been used during the robbery.
Subsequent intelligence-led investigations traced the suspects to their hideouts, where two men identified as Abubakar Jape and Sheu Dengi were arrested.
Police said the suspects confessed to participating in the robbery during interrogation. An identification parade was later conducted, during which victims positively 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 reportedly stolen from one of the victims during the operation.
Commending the swift response and professionalism of the operatives, the Commissioner of Police described the arrests as another milestone in the Command’s ongoing efforts to combat violent crime across Oyo State.
He assured residents that investigations are continuing to apprehend other members of the robbery gang who remain at large and urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to support crime-fighting efforts.
The police reaffirmed their commitment to safeguarding lives and property through sustained intelligence gathering, increased patrols and prompt response to security threats across the state.
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