The Oyo State Police Command on Thursday said that it had arrested four suspects, who specialised in supplying arms and ammunition to different armed robbery syndicates terrorising the people of the state.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr Shina Olukolu, disclosed this while presenting the suspects to newsmen at the Command Headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan.
Olukolu said the suspects were arrested in their hideout with 10,000 live cartridges on July 23 at 2.00 a.m., at Oke-Bola area of Ibadan.
He noted that the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the command received information about the activities of the syndicates and swung into action, leading to the arrest of the suspects.
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According to him, the suspects concealed the cartridges in an unregistered Toyota Sienna bus and a Toyota Camry car with registration number Lagos GGE 979 FT.
One of the suspects told newsmen that he had no licence to sell the cartridges, adding that he was only being patronised by the hunters.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that two female armourers to a gang of armed robbers were also presented, having been caught with a locally-made double-barrel pistol.
Olukolu said that police investigation indicated that the two females were members of notorious armed robbers, whose duty was to conceal and convey arms and ammunition to any location of their male syndicate’s operation.
According to him, the suspects were arrested in their hideout in Iseyin on July 20 at 7.00 p.m.“The suspects, upon interrogation, confessed that they were given the pistol by their syndicate kingpin and his cohorts, to conceal from Lagos State, to evade police arrest on their way to Iseyin, where operation will be carried out.
“Efforts to arrest the kingpin and his cohorts, who are at large, are being intensified,”Olukolu said.
The police chief called on the member of the public to be cautious of their environment, especially during the forthcoming Eid-el-Kabir celebration, as all sorts of crimes could be perpetrated during the period.
Olukolu noted that the police had put security measures in place, to ensure that the public enjoy their festive period. (NAN)
