The Oyo State Police Command has arrested four suspected cattle rustlers following a coordinated security operation in Ado-Awaye, located in Iseyin Local Government Area of the state.
The arrest was confirmed in a statement issued on Monday in Ibadan by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Olayinka Ayanlade.
According to the police spokesperson, two of the suspects, Sekooni Wale, 30, and Jimoh Toheeb, 25, were initially apprehended during a manhunt launched by operatives of the Ado-Awaye Divisional Headquarters. Wale was identified as the driver of a Mazda bus allegedly used in the rustling operation, while Toheeb served as the motor boy.
Ayanlade explained that subsequent investigations led police operatives to Maya Town in the Lanlate axis of the state, where the alleged mastermind, Moshood Abdullahi, 38, was arrested. Abdullahi, who reportedly travelled from Badagry, Lagos State, was described by the police as a notorious cattle rustler.
His arrest further resulted in the apprehension of another suspected accomplice, Macho Sindi, 29.
Providing details of the incident, the police said the crime occurred in the early hours of Thursday, March 13, 2026, at about 2:00 a.m., following a distress call received from a resident of Igbojaye, Muhammad Ibrahim.
The informant reported that armed hoodlums had invaded the camp of a cattle owner identified simply as Yahaya in the Iserin area via Ado-Awaye and rustled several cows.
Acting swiftly on the intelligence, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Ado-Awaye Division mobilised a joint security team comprising police officers and local vigilantes to the scene.
The operation resulted in the interception of the suspects and the recovery of the stolen livestock.
Police revealed that the suspects had already loaded two cows into a white Mazda bus with registration number KMA 178 ZY and were attempting to load three additional cows when the patrol team arrived.
Upon noticing the approaching security operatives, the suspects reportedly abandoned the vehicle containing the rustled cattle and fled into a nearby bush.
Security personnel later discovered two cattle herders, Ibrahim Musa and Ibrahim Umaru, at the scene tied together by the suspects before they fled.
Ayanlade said the security team immediately commenced a bush combing operation which eventually led to the arrest of Wale and Toheeb.
During interrogation, the suspects allegedly confessed to participating in the crime.
Reacting to the development, the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Femi Haruna, commended the gallantry and swift action of the operatives and local security partners whose intervention foiled the criminal operation and ensured the recovery of the stolen cattle.
The police commissioner also applauded the growing collaboration between security agencies and local communities, describing it as crucial in tackling rural criminality and maintaining public safety across the state.
The command urged residents to remain vigilant and continue to provide timely and credible information that would assist law enforcement agencies in combating crime.
