Operatives of the Oyo State Police Command, in collaboration with local vigilantes, has foiled a highway robbery attempt along the Ogbomoso–Ilorin Expressway, arresting a suspected armed robber and recovering a tanker loaded with diesel.
The police said the operation followed a swift response by a joint patrol team that encountered a gang of armed robbers who had blocked the highway at Egbeda Village, via Ogbomoso, in an attempt to dispossess motorists and travellers of their valuables.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, the hoodlums had stopped a diesel-laden tanker driven by Surajudeen Sulaiman and forcibly dispossessed the driver and his motor boys of their belongings.
Ayanlade explained that the situation escalated into a gun duel when the robbers attempted to flee upon sighting the patrol team.
During the exchange, one of the suspects, identified as 32-year-old Dere Yahaya, was apprehended, while other members of the gang escaped into the surrounding bush with suspected gunshot wounds.
He said the police, alongside the vigilante group, immediately launched a bush-combing operation and manhunt to track down the fleeing suspects and recover any stolen items.
“The operation demonstrates the command’s unwavering commitment to maintaining public safety and safeguarding lives and property along major highways in Oyo State,” the police spokesman stated.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Femi Haruna, commended the bravery and swift action of the operatives and their local security partners, noting that the collaboration between security agencies and community-based groups was critical to combating highway crimes.
Haruna also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies to aid efforts aimed at ensuring safety across the state.
He reiterated the command’s commitment to strengthening highway and community policing, assuring residents that sustained operations would continue to target criminal elements operating within the state.
The police further appealed to the public to continue supporting security agencies with useful information that could assist in apprehending other suspects who remain at large.
