On Friday, the Oyo State Police Command reveal that approximately 207 individuals were apprehended in 2023 for a range of offenses.
State Commissioner of Police Adebola Hamzat made this announcement at the command headquarters while escorting 38 more crime suspects who were allegedly involved in varying degrees of criminal activity at various locations.
She said that since January, 50 stolen vehicles, 46 motorcycles/tricycles, 108 firearms, and 721 rounds of ammunition in various calibers had been recovered from them.
Suspects in land grabs, kidnapping, and armed robbery were among those paraded.
Six vehicles, English pump action and revolver rifles, handguns manufactured locally, six cell phones, a generator, two motorbikes, nine guns, sixty rounds, charms from the area, and three cutlasses are among the items found.
Adewale Osifeso, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, paraded the suspects on behalf of CP Hamzat, stating that they were apprehended from their various hiding places.
He said, “As we gradually bid 2023 farewell, the CP has ordered that all Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, Heads of Department/formations, and Tactical Commanders deploy adequate personnel and resources throughout the length and breadth of the state, particularly at all critical infrastructures, recreational facilities, media houses, banks, Correctional centers, public spaces, places of worship and all adjoining highways and routes within and outside the state.
“Similarly, the CP has directed that they should increase layers of supervision around their subordinates, particularly men on the field who daily interface with commuters and other civilian populations while the Command’s Monitoring and X-squad units have been tasked to deal decisively with any officer whose actions or inactions bring about embarrassment to the Command and by extension the Police Force through extortion, incivilities, and other professional misconducts.
“In furtherance of the above, the state Police command is pleased to inform residents that within the past five months, it has recorded significant successes in reducing crime rates across the state. This was attained through a combination of intelligence-led operations, community engagements, and proactive policing.
“Within January 1st to this day, 207 armed robbery suspects were arrested, 50 stolen vehicles and 46 motorcycles/tricycles were recovered while 108 firearms and 721 rounds of various caliber of ammunition were retrieved from the possession of criminals,” he stated.
