The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a suspected kidnapper and recovered an AK-47 rifle following a coordinated, intelligence-driven operation in the Ikoyi-Ile area of the state.
According to a statement signed by the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, the breakthrough was made possible by timely information provided by a vigilant member of the public, highlighting the growing impact of community-police collaboration in tackling insecurity.
Residents in Ikoyi-Ile had reportedly been living in fear after three armed men were sighted moving through forests and farmlands, allegedly armed with an AK-47 rifle and other dangerous weapons.
Acting swiftly on the tip-off, a joint team of security operatives led by the Divisional Police Officer in Ikoyi-Ile launched a search operation, combing nearby bushes in a careful attempt to track down the suspects.
The operation led to the arrest of one of the suspects, identified as Muhammadu Abubakar. Recovered from him were an AK-47 rifle with breach number 6628/2274, six rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, and three live cartridges.
For many locals, the arrest brings a measure of relief after weeks of anxiety over increasing reports of kidnapping in the Ogbomoso–Ikoyi-Ile axis. Farmers, in particular, had grown wary of venturing into their farmlands amid fears of abduction.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly confessed to involvement in multiple kidnapping operations in the area and is said to be cooperating with investigators.
Police sources also revealed that Abubakar had been on the Command’s watchlist and is linked to cross-border criminal activities spanning neighboring states.
The Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, has ordered the transfer of the suspect to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for a more detailed and discreet investigation. Meanwhile, security agencies have launched a manhunt to apprehend other members of the gang who remain at large.
