Two Suspected Highway Robbers Arrested as Police Recover Firearm in Oyo

The Oyo State Police Command has arrested two suspected armed robbers and recovered a firearm believed to have been used during a robbery attack along the Oyo–Iwo Expressway in Afijio Local Government Area.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, the incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, July 5, after the Police Control Room in Eleyele received a distress call that armed robbers had barricaded the highway near Akoda Village.

The suspects allegedly attacked motorists and passengers travelling from a nearby market to Iwo, dispossessing them of their valuables. Some victims also sustained machete injuries during the attack.

Following the report, Commissioner of Police, CP Abimbola Olugbenga, directed operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit to immediately respond. The officers secured the area, rescued victims, and recovered a single-barrel gun and two clubs believed to have been used during the operation.

The police said intelligence-led investigations later led to the arrest of two suspects, identified as Abubakar Jape and Sheu Dengi. During interrogation, both men reportedly confessed to participating in the robbery, while victims identified them during an identification parade.

A search of one of the suspects’ hideouts also led to the recovery of a rechargeable touchlight belonging to one of the victims.

The Commissioner of Police commended the swift response of the operatives and assured residents that efforts are ongoing to arrest other members of the gang still at large. He also urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies.