The Oyo State Police Command has recorded another operational success in its campaign against violent crime with the arrest of a suspected armed criminal and the recovery of a locally fabricated pistol, live ammunition and suspected illicit drugs, even as it intensified efforts to rescue a farmer abducted in Oke-Ogun area of the state.
The Command disclosed that the arrest was made during an intelligence-led stop-and-search operation carried out by operatives attached to the Bodija Housing Police Division on the night of July 11, 2026.
According to the police, officers intercepted three men riding a Bajaj motorcycle with registration number DTN 678 QA along Oshuntokun Avenue in Bodija, Ibadan, at about 9:30 p.m.
During the search, one of the suspects allegedly threw a small bag into a nearby drainage, while two others fled the scene on the motorcycle.
The third suspect, identified as Hammed Lateef, was arrested by the operatives.
A search of the discarded bag led to the recovery of one locally fabricated pistol, one live cartridge, sachets containing substances suspected to be Tramadol, and a passport photograph believed to belong to one of the fleeing suspects.
The Police Command said investigations are ongoing, while efforts have been intensified to identify, trace and arrest the two suspects who escaped.
Reacting to the operation, the Commissioner of Police, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to proactive and intelligence-driven policing across the state.
He urged residents to continue supporting security agencies by providing timely and credible information capable of preventing crime and aiding ongoing investigations.
Meanwhile, the Oyo State Police Command has launched a large-scale joint security operation following the abduction of a farmer, Mr. Owoade Mathew, in the Igbojaye area of the state.
According to the Command, preliminary investigations revealed that a distress report was received from the Officer-in-Charge of the Igbojaye Police Outpost at about 9:50 a.m. on Sunday, July 12, 2026, indicating that the victim had gone to his farm along the Igbojaye–Budo Aare Farm Road at about 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, but failed to return home.
Police said family members who organised a search party later recovered his Bajaj motorcycle at the farm in the early hours of Sunday.
Shortly afterwards, the victim’s mobile phone was reportedly used to contact his family, with the caller informing them that the farmer had been abducted, prompting an immediate report to the police.
The Command also dismissed reports suggesting that the victim was kidnapped within the premises of a school, describing such claims as inaccurate.
According to the police, investigations confirmed that the abduction occurred on the victim’s farm and not at any educational institution.
The Command urged members of the public to disregard misleading reports and rely only on official information released through its communication channels.
Following the report, Commissioner of Police Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga ordered the immediate deployment of a coordinated joint rescue team comprising police operatives, personnel of the Amotekun Corps, local vigilantes and hunters to the affected area.
The joint security team has since commenced an intensive combing operation in the surrounding forests in a bid to locate and rescue the victim.
The Command disclosed that the operation has been reinforced with personnel from its Anti-Kidnapping Squad and other tactical units working alongside other security stakeholders to ensure the safe rescue of the farmer and the arrest of those responsible for the abduction.
The Commissioner assured residents that the Oyo State Police Command remains determined to eliminate kidnapping and other violent crimes across the state.
