38 alleged criminals for offences including kidnapping, armed robbery, conspiracy, and other vices were paraded by the Oyo State Police Command on Friday.
The State Commissioner of Police, CP Adebola Hamzat said the crime suspects were allegedly involved in various degrees of criminal activities at various locations a few days into the New Year.
Briefing journalists at the Oyo State Police Command Headquarters, Eleyele Ibadan on behalf of the State Police Commissioner, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Osifeso Adewale said the suspects will be charged to court upon the completion of the ongoing investigations.
He said, “On 31st July 2023 at about 2045hrs, members of an inter-state car-snatching armed robbery syndicate who have been terrorizing members of the public in Oyo town and its environs intercepted one Ayinde ‘m’ at Fola-Tyre area of Oyo town while returning home from office and in the process, the notorious men of the underworld who were reportedly armed with AK-47 Riffle and Locally made Pistols dispossessed him of his Toyota Camry Car Aka big daddy with REG NO ABUJA RBC 979 EA and some other valuable items.
The daredevil armed robbers fired gunshots sporadically into the air while fleeing from the scene of the crime and this followed a DISTRESS CALL to operatives of the Command Monitoring Unit who moved swiftly to the area but the armed robbers managed to escape.”
The Police Public Relations Officer gave the names of the suspects as Olajide Gabriel, Monday Agammo, Olabode Imole, and Adeoye Abiodun.
He further said, “The operatives of the Monitoring Unit subsequently embarked on Discreet Human Intelligence Gathering with the intent to crack down on members of the criminal cartel who have masterminded a series of other armed robbery operations at different locations in Oyo State.
Consequent upon ‘’intensive and discreet intelligence gathering’’, the suspected leader of the car snatching criminal syndicate later identified as Olajide Gabriel, and one other member of the criminal cartel, a citizen of Benin Republic who gave his name as Monday Agammo were arrested in connection with the crimes.
“Upon interrogations, the duo confessed to the crime and many other armed robbery operations in which the following exotic vehicles; Three Toyota Corolla Cars, One Toyota Camry Car (Big Daddy), and one Toyota Camry Car (Muscle) from their owners at Ojoo area along Ibadan/Oyo expressway between May and July, 2023.
“The suspects claimed that all the robbed vehicles had been handed over to their criminal receiver who is now at large. However, two other suspects, Olabode Imole and Adeoye Abiodun who received other valuable items such as Expensive Laptops and Mobile phones and Gold Jewelries were equally arrested.
Meanwhile, One AK-47 Rifle, Forty-Two (42) AK 47-Live Ammunitions, Two Locally made Pistols, and Eight Live Cartridges which they used for their nefarious criminal activities were recovered from the suspects during their arrest at the said hideout.
“Investigation is ongoing to crack the criminal network and other stolen vehicles by the gang. Further development will be communicated later,” Osifeso said.
Exhibits recovered from the suspects are one AK-47 Riffle, forty-two (42) AK-47 ammunitions, two locally made pistols, eight live cartridges, one Samsung phone, and one Toyota Camry Car with registration number KTU 87 EA.
Similarly, the state public relations officer took journalists around the major axis of the Ibadan metropolis to ensure that residents in the state were well-secured before, during, and after the festive period.
He said, “The township patrols are ongoing across the 10 area commands of Oyo state to ensure that the people of the state are well secured during the Yuletide.”
