The Oyo State Police Command has arrested two suspects over the proliferation of illegal arms and ammunition, a menace directly linked to violent crimes within the state and beyond.
A statement by the Command’s spokesman, Olayinka Ayanlade, said operatives of the Command Monitoring Unit, Saki Operation Base, acting on credible and actionable intelligence, executed a coordinated intelligence-led operation that led to the arrest of two suspected international gun runners.
According to Ayanlade, the suspects, Isiaka Dare and Taiwo Ayodabo, both of Tede, were apprehended at Budo Mosalasi, Saki.
The PPRO said, “Investigation so far reveals that the suspects operate across international terrain, trafficking ammunition illegally from the Republic of Benin into Nigeria through unauthorized border routes.
“Their criminal enterprise involves the clandestine importation and distribution of prohibited ammunition to unauthorized individuals within the country—arms and ammunition which may ultimately be deployed in the commission of armed robbery, banditry, kidnapping, and other violent crimes.”
Corroborating this intelligence, operatives recovered 105 packets of pump-action cartridges concealed in four jerry cans/kegs, with each packet containing 25 cartridges, amounting to a total of 2,625 cartridges.
“Two unregistered motorcycles believed to have been used for the illegal transportation and distribution of the ammunition were equally recovered.” The suspects have confessed to the crime and are currently assisting investigators in unravelling the wider transnational network and identifying other accomplices involved in the illicit trade.
Consequent upon this development, the Commissioner of Police, Femi Haruna, has directed that the suspects be charged in court upon the conclusion of a thorough and comprehensive investigation.
The Police boss commended the professionalism and precision of the intelligence-led operation carried out by the Command Monitoring Unit, noting that proactive policing and actionable intelligence remain critical tools in dismantling organized criminal networks.
