By Joy Onu
A stop-and-search operation by the Oyo State Police Command has led to the arrest of a suspect and the recovery of a locally fabricated pistol, a live cartridge and substances suspected to be illicit drugs in the Bodija area of Ibadan.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, said the operation was carried out at about 9:30 p.m. on Friday, July 11, along Oshuntokun Avenue, Bodija, Ibadan, as part of the command’s ongoing intelligence-led efforts to combat violent crime and curb the proliferation of illegal firearms across Oyo State.
According to him, operatives attached to the Bodija Housing Police Division intercepted three men riding a Bajaj motorcycle bearing registration number DTN 678 QA during the operation.
As officers moved to search the occupants, one of the suspects allegedly threw a small bag into a nearby drainage, while the other two fled the scene on the motorcycle, leaving behind Hammed Lateef, who was immediately arrested.
Olayinka said officers retrieved the discarded bag and recovered a 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.
He added that investigations were ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the recovered exhibits, while efforts had been intensified to identify, track and apprehend the fleeing suspects.
The Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, described the arrest as another breakthrough in the command’s campaign against crime and reaffirmed its commitment to proactive, intelligence-led policing.
He urged residents to continue supporting the police with timely and credible information that could help prevent crime and facilitate the arrest of criminal suspects across the state.
