The Oyo State Police Command has busted a suspected robbery gang that specialises in using tricycles to dispossess unsuspecting members of the public of their valuables in the Ibadan metropolis.

In a Tuesday statement, command spokesman, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade said six members of the syndicate were arrested while hibernating in a hotel in the city.

Ayanlade said operatives of the Command Monitoring Unit, acting on credible intelligence, received information about the gang.

He added that the suspects were reported to be hibernating at a hotel located in the 7UP/Academy area of Ibadan.

“Acting swiftly on the intelligence received, the operatives launched a well-coordinated sting operation and stormed the location, leading to the arrest of six suspects,” the statement reads in part.

The arrested suspects comprised five males and one female.

They are Kelvin Daniel, 21, Idris Ramon, 25, Christopher Solomon, 35, Mohamed Telim, 21, Taored Aderibigbe, 30, and Adekunle Tolani, 27 (female).

Exhibits recovered from the suspects include 18 different mobile phones, one Opay ATM card, and one National Identification Number (NIN) card.

The police also recovered one tricycle with registration number OYO SHK 508 QP identified as the operational vehicle used by the syndicate.

Ayanlade said preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects have confessed to being members of a criminal syndicate responsible for terrorising residents of Ibadan metropolis.

The command commended members of the public for their continued cooperation and timely provision of credible intelligence, which it said greatly contributed to the success of this operation.

The command further said this underscored the critical role of community partnership in policing, encouraging residents to sustain this support by promptly sharing useful information that can aid in crime prevention and detection.

The command said investigation was ongoing and all suspects would be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.

It reiterated its commitment to ensuring the safety of lives and property across the state and urged residents to continue to support the police with timely and credible information. (The Sun)