The Ekiti State Police Command has foiled an armed robbery operation along the Ikole–Oye Road, rescued two abducted victims, arrested two suspected robbers and recovered six stolen truck tyres in a swift intelligence-led operation.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday when three armed hoodlums reportedly attacked a faulty petrol tanker parked along the road. The suspects robbed the driver and his motor boy of their mobile phones before abducting them into a nearby bush, where they tied both victims to a tree. The hoodlums later returned to the tanker, removed six truck tyres and loaded them into an ash-coloured Ford minibus in an attempt to escape towards Kogi State.
Acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the Safer Highway Patrol intercepted the vehicle, recovered all the stolen tyres and arrested two suspects, identified as Ezekiel Balogun and Usman Wada, both from Kabba in Kogi State. The suspects subsequently led the police to the bush where the abducted driver and his motor boy were rescued unharmed, while one other suspect escaped and remained at large.
Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Sunday Abutu, said the case has been transferred to the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) for further investigation. He added that the Commissioner of Police, CP Falade Adegoroye Micheal, reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, urging residents to continue providing timely and credible information to support ongoing efforts to combat crime across the state.
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