Two flee as police arrest suspect with pistol in Oyo

The Oyo State Police Command on Monday said it had arrested a suspect with a locally fabricated pistol and suspected illicit drugs along Oshuntokun Avenue, Bodija, in the Ibadan North Local Government Area of the state.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, in a statement issued in Ibadan on Monday, said the suspect was arrested during a stop-and-search operation.

He explained that the incident occurred on Saturday, July 11, 2026, at about 9:30pm, when operatives intercepted three male occupants of a Bajaj motorcycle with registration number DTN 678 QA.

Osifeso said, “The Oyo State Police Command has recorded another operational breakthrough in its sustained efforts to curb criminal activities and the proliferation of illegal firearms across the state.

“On Saturday, July 11, 2026, at about 9:30 p.m., operatives attached to Bodija Housing Police Division, while conducting an intelligence-led stop-and-search operation along Oshuntokun Avenue, Bodija, Ibadan, intercepted three male occupants of a Bajaj motorcycle with registration number DTN 678 QA.

“During the search, one of the suspects threw a small bag into a nearby drain, while two others fled the scene with the motorcycle. The third suspect, Hammed Lateef, was arrested.

“A search of the discarded bag led to the recovery of one locally fabricated pistol, one live cartridge, sachets of substances suspected to be Tramadol, and a passport photograph believed to belong to one of the fleeing suspects.

“The investigation is ongoing, while efforts are being intensified to identify, track and apprehend the fleeing suspects.”

The state Commissioner of Police, Johnson Adenola, reassured residents of the command’s commitment to proactive and intelligence-led policing and urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to the police.