The Oyo State Police Command has foiled a highway robbery along the Ogbomoso–Ilorin Expressway and arrested a suspected armed robber following a gun battle with security operatives.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday, noting that the incident occurred on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at Egbeda Village via Ogbomoso.
According to the statement, a joint patrol team comprising police operatives and local vigilantes encountered suspected armed robbers who had blocked the highway.
“The hoodlums had blocked the highway and stopped a tanker loaded with diesel, driven by Surajudeen Sulaiman.
“The robbers forcibly dispossessed the tanker driver and his motor boys of their belongings.
“A gun duel ensued between the fleeing hoodlums and the police patrol team, during which one of the suspects, later identified as Dere Yahaya, aged 32, was apprehended. Other members of the gang escaped into the bush with suspected bullet wounds,” the statement read.
The command added that security operatives immediately launched a bush-combing operation and a manhunt to track down the fleeing suspects.
The Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, CP Femi Haruna, commended the bravery and swift response of the operatives and local vigilantes involved in the operation.
Haruna also expressed appreciation to the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, for his continued guidance and support in strengthening highway and community policing across the country.
The Ogbomoso–Ilorin Expressway has in recent times become a hotspot for auto crashes, hijackings and armed robbery attacks in Oyo State.
Police said the latest arrest forms part of ongoing efforts to curb criminal activities in the area.
It comes barely a month after a similar operation in Ogbomoso in February 2026, during which officers recovered goods valued at ₦31.75 million from another gang.
The police urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to security agencies.
Residents were also advised to contact the Oyo State Call Response Centre toll-free line on 615 or the command’s control room numbers, 08081768614 and 07055495413, in case of emergencies.
