Police arrest two suspected armed robbers, recover gun in Oyo

The Oyo State Police Command has arrested two suspected armed robbers and recovered a firearm allegedly used during a robbery operation along the Oyo-Iwo Expressway in Afijio Local Government Area of the state.

The command’s spokesperson, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Ibadan.

According to Ayanlade, the incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, July 5, 2026, after the Police Control Room at Eleyele received a distress call reporting that armed robbers had blocked the highway around Akoda Village in Afijio Local Government Area.

The attackers reportedly robbed motorists and passengers travelling from a nearby market towards Iwo town, while some victims sustained machete injuries during the attack.

The statement read, “The Oyo State Police Command has recorded another significant breakthrough in its sustained efforts to rid the state of violent criminals with the arrest of two suspected armed robbers and the recovery of a firearm linked to a robbery operation along the Oyo–Iwo expressway.

“The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, 5 July 2026, following a distress call received at the Police Control Room, Eleyele, Ibadan, reporting that a gang of armed robbers had barricaded the Oyo–Iwo Expressway around Akoda Village in Afijio Local Government Area.

“The hoodlums reportedly attacked motorists and passengers travelling from a nearby market towards Iwo Town, dispossessing them of their valuables. Some victims sustained machete injuries during the attack, while others were subjected to other violent acts.”

Ayanlade said the Commissioner of Police, CP Abimbola Olugbenga, immediately directed operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit to respond to the incident.

He stated, “Upon receipt of the distress information, the Commissioner of Police, CP Abimbola Olugbenga, immediately directed operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit to move to the scene. The operatives responded swiftly, 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 during the operation.”

The police spokesman added that intelligence-led investigations later led operatives to the suspects’ hideouts.

Ayanlade said, “Further intelligence-driven investigation led the VCRU operatives to the hideouts of the suspects, culminating in the arrest of Abubakar Jape and Sheu Dengi.

“During interrogation, the suspects confessed to their involvement in the robbery operation. An identification parade was subsequently conducted, during which the victims positively identified them as some of the armed robbers who attacked and robbed them. A search conducted at one of their hideouts also led to the recovery of a rechargeable touchlight belonging to one of the victims.”

The Commissioner of Police commended the professionalism and prompt response of the operatives, describing the arrest as evidence of the command’s determination to tackle violent crime in the state.

He assured residents that efforts were ongoing to apprehend other members of the gang still at large and urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies.

The Oyo-Iwo Expressway serves as a major route linking communities in Oyo State with neighbouring Osun State and has witnessed occasional incidents of highway robbery, particularly during early morning and late-night hours.

Security agencies have intensified patrols and intelligence operations along the corridor in recent months as part of broader efforts to curb violent crime and improve safety for motorists and traders using the route.