Police nab interstate robbers in Ibadan bust

Abdullateef Fowewe

Oyo State Police Command operatives have arrested two suspected armed robbers in a swift operation along Elebu-Oja, off Alao-Akala Expressway, following tips from vigilant residents, recovering toy pistols and illicit drugs.

The suspects, Elijah Teejay, 21, and Ottu Emmanuel, 33, were nabbed during a targeted patrol by the Command’s Anti-Counterfeiting and Fraud Unit. A search yielded “two (2) toy pistols and some illicit drugs,” which were secured as exhibits, according to DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, Police Public Relations Officer.

“Upon interrogation, the suspects confessed to multiple acts of robbery along the aforementioned axis and other locations within and outside Oyo State,” Olayinka stated, noting their cross-state operations had “caused significant havoc in many communities, dispossessing victims of their valuables and instilling fear among residents.”

The arrests, credited to “credible intelligence received from vigilant citizens,” prevented further crimes and disrupted a budding network.

CP Femi Haruna directed that the suspects, now in custody, be charged to court post-investigation. He commended residents, saying their “vigilance and timely action directly contributed to the detection and arrest,” while thanking Inspector-General Kayode Egbetokun for bolstering “intelligence-led policing.”

Oyo Police urged ongoing public cooperation, “Remain security conscious, continue providing actionable intelligence, and promptly report suspicious activities.”