Residents of Ibadan may have received a major security boost after the Oyo State Police Command arrested six suspected armed robbers following weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance.
The suspects were arrested at a hideout in Ibadan during an early morning operation on Saturday, October 10, 2026, after the police said they spent about five weeks monitoring the activities of the alleged gang.
The Command’s spokesperson, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, who confirmed the arrest in a statement issued on Monday in Ibadan, said the operation was carried out after careful tracking of the suspects.
According to him, the police moved against the gang after gathering information about their alleged activities and identifying their hideout.
Those arrested were identified as Yusuf Adeyemi, 39, from Esu Awele area of Ibadan; Isiaka Kayode, 40, from Odinjo area; Yusuf Basiru, 35, from Oja Oba behind the Central Mosque; Adewale Lawal, 38, and Saheed Lateef, 36, both from Orita Aperin area; and Idowu Olanrewaju, 42, from Olohunda, Akanran area of Ibadan.
DSP Olayinka said a search conducted during the operation led to the recovery of five firearms, including a fabricated English-made pistol, a revolver pistol, a pump-action gun, a locally made cut-to-size gun and another locally made pistol.
The police spokesperson added that five live cartridges and four cutlasses were also recovered as exhibits.
He said preliminary investigations showed that the suspects allegedly belonged to a criminal gang accused of terrorising residents of Ibadan and surrounding communities.
“Their confessions form part of the ongoing investigation aimed at uncovering the full extent of the gang’s criminal activities and identifying any other individuals connected to its operations,” he said.
The suspects, according to the police, remain in custody as detectives continue investigations into their alleged involvement in other robbery cases across the state.
Reacting to the arrest, Oyo State Commissioner of Police, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, assured residents that the command would continue to rely on intelligence-driven operations to tackle armed robbery and other violent crimes.
The police commissioner also called on members of the public to continue providing credible information that could assist security agencies in preventing crimes and protecting communities.
The latest operation comes amid ongoing efforts by security agencies in Oyo State to dismantle criminal networks and improve safety across the state.