Police foil highway robbery in Oyo, arrest suspect, recover diesel tanker

By Adejayan Gbenga

Operatives of the Oyo State Police Command have foiled a highway robbery and arrested a suspect during a security operation along the Ogbomoso–Ilorin Expressway.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by the command’s spokesperson, Ayanlade Olayinka, wherein he noted that the incident occurred near Egbeda Village when a joint patrol team made up of police officers and local vigilantes encountered suspected robbers who had reportedly blocked the road.

According to Olayinka, the attackers stopped a tanker loaded with diesel driven by Surajudeen Sulaiman and dispossessed the driver and his assistants of their belongings.

The police spokesperson said a gun battle followed as the suspects attempted to flee, leading to the arrest of one 32-year-old Dere Yahaya, while other members of the group escaped into nearby bushes with suspected gunshot injuries.

Security operatives subsequently launched a search operation in the surrounding area as efforts continued to track down the fleeing suspects.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Femi Haruna, commended the swift response of the operatives and local security partners involved in the operation, and urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to security agencies.