The Oyo State Police Command said it has arrested two suspected armed robbers, Abubakar Jape and Sheu Dengi, and recovered a firearm in connection with a highway attack on the Oyo–Iwo Expressway, as victims positively identified the suspects during an identification parade.

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the command, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday.

He said the incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, July 5, after a distress call was received at the Police Control Room, Eleyele, Ibadan.

The report stated that a gang of armed robbers had barricaded the Oyo–Iwo Expressway around Akoda Village in Afijio Local Government Area, attacking motorists and passengers travelling from a nearby market towards Iwo Town.

According to Ayanlade, the hoodlums dispossessed victims of their valuables. Some victims sustained machete injuries during the attack, while others were subjected to other violent acts.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, immediately directed operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) to the scene.

Ayanlade said the operatives secured the area, rescued the victims, and combed the scene, leading to the recovery of one single-barrel gun and two clubs believed to have been used by the criminal gang.

Following intelligence-driven investigation, VCRU operatives tracked the suspects to their hideouts and arrested Abubakar Jape and Sheu Dengi.

During interrogation, the suspects confessed to their involvement in the robbery operation, the command spokesman stated.

Ayanlade disclosed that an identification parade was subsequently conducted during which the victims positively identified Jape and Dengi as some of the armed robbers who attacked and robbed them.

A search at one of their hideouts also led to the recovery of a rechargeable touchlight belonging to one of the victims.

The Oyo CP commended the professionalism, courage, and prompt response of the VCRU operatives, describing the arrest as another testament to the command’s unwavering resolve to combat violent crimes across the state.

He assured residents that efforts were being intensified to apprehend other members of the criminal gang who remain at large and ensure they are brought to justice.

The Oyo State Police Command urged members of the public to remain vigilant and continue to provide timely, credible, and actionable information to the police, noting that community partnership remains critical to sustaining peace and security across the state. (The Sun)

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