The police in Oyo have paraded 34 suspected cattle rustlers and kidnappers arrested along Ogbomoso/Ilorin Expressway.
Other suspects were linked to armed robbery, and stealing.
Shina Olukolu, Commissioner of Police in charge of Oyo, while briefing newsmen in Ibadan, said five of the suspects were arrested in December 2019.
According to him, 29 other criminals who specialised in armed robbery were arrested while the command recovered from them one diverted trailer two stolen vehicles.
Read also: Oyo Frowns At Level of Drug Abuse At Motor Parks
He noted that on December 23, 2019, information was received at SARS office, Ogbomoso operational base that some members of a notorious gang of armed robbers who specialised in cattle rustling and kidnapping were sighted with sophisticated weapons (arms) in Ogbomoso town, planning to strike.
“Upon this information, a team of SARS operatives swung into action and laid siege at new Kara market area along Ogbomoso/Ilorin Expressway where they intend to attack, rob and kidnap members of the business community.
The hoodlums later arrived at the scene and in the process, one of them who later identified himself as Abubakar Mohammed was arrested while his syndicate members managed to escape. One AK-49 riffle with seven live ammunition were recovered from the suspect.
“During interrogation, he confessed to be a member of a criminal gang that specialized in cattle rustling, kidnapping and other violent crimes and this later led to the arrest of one other members of his syndicate who identified himself as Babuga Usman with three of the syndicate’s receivers who identified themselves as Rasheed Ganiyu, Taofeek Salawu and Abiodun Kehinde. Investigation is now in progress to arrest other fleeing members of the gang, the police chief said.
