By Ade Oyeyemi
The Ondo State Police Command has arrested two suspected armed robbers in separate operations in Akure, the state capital, recovering two locally made firearms in the process.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, saying the arrests were made by operatives of the B Division Surveillance Patrol Team and the Okuta Elerinla Division on October 13 and 19, respectively.
According to the statement, the first suspect, 32-year-old Oliver Bamidele, was arrested on October 13 during a stop-and-search operation along the Idanre Road area of Akure.
Jimoh said a search conducted on the suspect allegedly led to the discovery of a cut-to-size locally made gun concealed in his possession.
The police spokesman added that Bamidele was taken into custody for questioning and reportedly admitted ownership of the firearm.
He said investigators would establish how the weapon was obtained and its intended use before transferring the suspect and the recovered exhibit to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
In a separate operation on October 19, police operatives patrolling the Madam Do Good area of Oyemekun Road, Akure, intercepted two people riding a blue TVS motorcycle under suspicious circumstances.
A search reportedly led to the recovery of another cut-to-size locally made pistol.
One of the individuals allegedly fled when the operatives intervened, while the other, identified as 35-year-old Levis Prince, was arrested.
The command said efforts were ongoing to track down the fleeing suspect and determine whether the recovered firearm was connected to any criminal activity.
The Commissioner of Police, Felix Ohagwu, commended the officers involved in the operations, praising their alertness and commitment to tackling crime.
Ohagwu reaffirmed the command’s resolve to sustain intelligence-led policing, strategic patrols and stop-and-search operations across the state.
He also urged residents to cooperate with security agencies by providing useful information, assuring them that the police would continue efforts to curb armed robbery and other violent crimes in Ondo State.
