…apprehend four cattle rustlers in Ibarapa
Oyo State Police Command have arrested a suspected armed robber along the Ogbomoso–Ilorin Expressway.
According to the State Public Relations Officer, Ayanlade Olayinka, preliminary investigation revealed that a joint patrol team comprising Police operatives and local vigilantes encountered armed robbers at Egbeda Village via Ogbomoso.
The hoodlums had blocked the highway and stopped a tanker loaded with diesel, driven by Surajudeen Sulaiman.
The robbers forcibly dispossessed the tanker driver and his motor boys of their belongings. A gun duel ensued between the fleeing hoodlums and the Police patrol team, during which one of the suspects, later identified as Dere Yahaya, aged 32, was apprehended.
Other members of the gang escaped into the bush, sustaining bullet wounds.
Following the incident, the Police and vigilante team embarked on intensive bush combing and a manhunt for the fleeing suspects. The operation underscores the Command’s unwavering commitment to maintaining public safety and safeguarding lives and property along major highways in Oyo State.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Femi Haruna, appreciated the bravery and quick response of the operatives and local security partners during the operation, while also expressing his profound appreciation to the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, for his continued guidance and support in strengthening highway and community policing across the Nation.
Members of the public were therefore encouraged to remain vigilant, report suspicious activities promptly, and continue to collaborate with security agencies to ensure a safer environment for all.
Similarly, the Police arrested four cattle rustlers and recovered some cattle in the Ado Away area of the Ibarapa zone of Oyo state. “The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday, 13th March 2026, at about 2:00 a.m., when a report was received from one Muhammad Ibrahim of Igbojaye area, who informed the Police that armed hoodlums had invaded the camp of one Yahaya, located at Iserin area via Ado-Awaye, and made away with his cows.
“On arrival at the scene, it was discovered that the suspects had already loaded two cows into a white Mazda bus with registration number KMA 178 ZY and were in the process of loading three other cows when the Police patrol team closed in on them.
Sighting the approaching operatives, the hoodlums abandoned the vehicle loaded with the stolen cows and fled into the bush. At the scene, the joint team found two cattle herders, namely Ibrahim Musa and Ibrahim Umaru, who had been tied together by the fleeing suspects.
“The Police and vigilante team immediately commenced intensive bush combing and a coordinated manhunt for the fleeing criminals. This led to the arrest of Sekooni Wale, aged 30, the driver of the Mazda bus, and Jimoh Toheeb, aged 25, the motor boy”, the release notes.
“Further investigation was subsequently extended to Maya Town in the Lanlate area, where the principal suspect, Moshood Abdullahi, aged 38, was apprehended. The suspect, who reportedly came from Badagry, was also identified as a notorious cattle rustler. His arrest further led to the apprehension of another accomplice, Macho Sindi, aged 29 yrs.
“During interrogation, the suspects confessed to their involvement in the crime. Consequently, the vehicle used for the operation, as well as the rustled cattle, were successfully recovered”, the Command reported.
