The Oyo State Police Command has recorded significant successes in its ongoing crackdown on violent crimes, foiling an attempted robbery attack in Iseyin and rescuing a kidnapped farmer in the Irawo area of the state.
Police authorities disclosed that one armed robbery suspect was killed during a gun battle, while two others were arrested.
The command’s spokesperson, Olayinka Ayanlade, made the disclosure in a statement issued on Thursday in Ibadan.
According to the statement, the attempted robbery incident occurred around 2 a.m. along Saki Road in Iseyin following credible intelligence about an ongoing attack at a residence that had reportedly been targeted earlier in February.
Ayanlade said detectives were swiftly deployed to the scene, where they discovered that about five armed men had invaded the residence.
He explained that the residence’s security guard engaged the attackers in a gun duel, resulting in the death of one suspect and the arrest of two others, while other gang members reportedly escaped with gunshot injuries.
Items recovered from the suspects included a locally fabricated cut-to-size firearm, one expended cartridge, one live cartridge, five mobile phones, two power banks and cash suspected to be proceeds of criminal activities.
The police spokesperson further revealed that one of the victims of an earlier robbery incident in the area identified the arrested suspects as members of the gang that attacked his residence on April 13, 2026.
He added that investigations had been intensified to determine the suspects’ involvement in other robbery operations within and outside the area.
The case has since been transferred to the Command Monitoring Unit for further investigation.
In a related development, the police command also confirmed the rescue of a farmer, Quadri Oloriegbe, who was abducted on April 29, 2026, at Olopoto Village via Abugbudu in the Irawo axis of Oyo State.
Police said the victim was kidnapped by five armed men who stormed the community and fired several gunshots before whisking him away to an unknown destination.
Following the abduction, the Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, ordered a coordinated rescue operation involving police tactical teams, Agbekoya operatives, the Amotekun Corps, local vigilantes and hunters.
The command stated that sustained bush-combing operations and intelligence-driven surveillance led to the arrest of a suspect identified as Umaru Bokolo, whose confession reportedly provided critical information that aided the rescue effort.
“The victim was eventually rescued on May 5, 2026, and taken for medical evaluation before reuniting with his family,” the statement noted.
Further operations also led to the arrest of three additional suspects identified as Zada Abubakar, Husein Rabiu and Abubakar Mohammed.
Police authorities said the suspects would be transferred to the Anti-Kidnapping Squad for further investigation and possible prosecution.
Abimbola commended all security personnel and local security outfits involved in the operations and urged residents across the state to continue supporting law enforcement agencies with credible and timely information.
