Oyo state Police Commissioner, Mr Shina Olukolu Tuesday stated that five suspected cattle rustlers and kidnappers are now in the net of the state Police command.
Also, CP Olukolu said 29 other criminals including suspected armed robbers are presently in the command’s net, while one trailer diverted by some criminal elements and two stolen vehicles were recovered.
Briefing journalists on the activities of the command, CP Olukolu said the suspected cattle rustlers and kidnappers were arrested along Ogbomoso/Ilorin expressway in December last year.
“On 23rd December, 2019 at about 1620hrs, information was received at SARS office, Ogbomoso operational base that some members of a notorious gang of armed robbers who specialised in cattle rustling and kidnapping were sighted with sophisticated weapons in their possession in Ogbomoso town planning to carry out their nefarious criminal activities,” he said.
Olukolu said, “upon this information, a team of SARS operatives from the command swung into action and laid siege at new Kara market area along Ogbomoso/Ilorin expressway where they intend to attack, rob and kidnap members of the business community. The hoodlums later arrived at the scene arms in the process, one of them who later identified himself as Abubakar Mohammed ‘M’ was arrested while his syndicate members managed to escape.”
The Oyo state Police Commissioner said, “one AK-49 riffle with 7 live ammunitions was recovered from the suspect”, saying, “during interrogation, he confessed to be a member of a criminal gang that specialised in cattle rustling, kidnapping and other violent crimes.”
CP Olukolu stressed that: “This later led to the arrest of one other members of his syndicate who identified himself as Babuga Usman with three of the syndicate’s criminal receivers who identified themselves as; Rasheed Ganiyu, Taofeek Salawu and Abiodun Kehinde. Investigation is now in progress to arrest other fleeing members of the gang.”
Speaking further, he declared that a total number of 10 cases were recorded with 34 suspects arrested by the Oyo state Police command in 10 cases.
