Operatives of the Oyo State Police Command have arrested two men suspected of involvement in a highway robbery attack and recovered a firearm allegedly linked to the crime.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, disclosed the arrests in a statement issued on Tuesday in Ibadan.
He said the operation followed a distress call received at the Police Control Room in Eleyele after armed men reportedly blocked the Oyo-Iwo Expressway near Akoda Village in Afijio Local Government Area in the early hours of Sunday, July 5.
The suspects were said to have attacked motorists and passengers travelling from a nearby market to Iwo, making away with valuables while some victims suffered machete wounds and other injuries.
“The Oyo State Police Command has recorded another significant breakthrough in its sustained efforts to rid the state of violent criminals with the arrest of two suspected armed robbers and the recovery of a firearm linked to a robbery operation along the Oyo–Iwo expressway.
“The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, 5 July 2026, following a distress call received at the Police Control Room, Eleyele, Ibadan, reporting that a gang of armed robbers had barricaded the Oyo–Iwo Expressway around Akoda Village in Afijio Local Government Area.
“The hoodlums reportedly attacked motorists and passengers travelling from a nearby market towards Iwo Town, dispossessing them of their valuables. Some victims sustained machete injuries during the attack, while others were subjected to other violent acts.”
Following the report, Commissioner of Police Abimbola Olugbenga directed personnel of the Violent Crime Response Unit to move to the location.
“Upon receipt of the distress information, the Commissioner of Police, CP Abimbola Olugbenga, immediately directed operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit to move to the scene. The operatives responded swiftly, secured the area, rescued the victims, and combed the scene, leading to the recovery of one single-barrel gun and two clubs believed to have been used by the criminal gang during the operation.”
The police said intelligence gathered after the incident led investigators to the suspects’ hideouts, where they were taken into custody.
“Further intelligence-driven investigation led the VCRU operatives to the hideouts of the suspects, culminating in the arrest of Abubakar Jape and Sheu Dengi.
“During interrogation, the suspects confessed to their involvement in the robbery operation. An identification parade was subsequently conducted, during which the victims positively identified them as some of the armed robbers who attacked and robbed them. A search conducted at one of their hideouts also led to the recovery of a rechargeable touchlight belonging to one of the victims.”
The police commissioner praised the officers for their prompt action, saying the arrests reflect the command’s commitment to tackling violent crime.
He added that efforts are ongoing to track down other members of the gang who escaped and urged residents to continue providing credible information that could aid police investigations.