Police clarify circumstances behind alleged bandit arrests in Osun

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo –

The Osun State Police Command has dismissed claims contained in two viral social media videos alleging the arrest of bandits in parts of the state, saying investigations showed that neither incident was related to banditry.

One of the incidents involved a man apprehended by residents along the Lameco–Oke-Fia Road in Osogbo on June 3 over suspicions that he was a bandit. The suspect was subsequently taken to the Osogbo Area Command, where officers recovered a knife, an army camouflage trouser, local charms and some clothing materials.

In a statement on Monday, police spokesman, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, said investigators later observed signs of mental instability in the suspect and transferred the matter to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.

According to him, detectives later established the suspect’s identity as Adebayo Sunday, 38, while family members and a native doctor confirmed that he had a history of mental health challenges.

“Further investigation revealed the suspect’s identity as Adebayo Sunday, aged 38 years. Members of his family subsequently visited the police and confirmed his identity. Detectives also contacted a native doctor who disclosed that he had treated the suspect for a mental-related condition over ten years ago. The suspect was thereafter taken to the Police Clinic, where he was referred to a psychiatric hospital for further medical evaluation and treatment,” Ojelabi said.

The police also addressed another viral video circulated the same day, which claimed that suspected bandits had been arrested in Imesi-Ile.

According to the command, investigations revealed that the incident stemmed from a dispute involving alleged malicious damage to farmland and not banditry as alleged online.

The suspects involved in the matter were identified as Abdullahi Umaru, Usman Bello and Umaru Aliyu, cattle rearers who have lived in Imesi-Ile with their families and livestock for more than 20 years, while the police urged residents to avoid spreading unverified information capable of causing panic.