Oyo State Police Command has arrested two suspected international gun runners linked to the clandestine importation and distribution of prohibited ammunition to unauthorised individuals within the country.
In a Friday statement signed by Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, the arrest forms part of the Command’s operational breakthrough in its sustained crackdown on the proliferation of illegal arms and ammunition, a menace directly linked to violent crimes within the State and beyond.
According to the statement, the suspects were arrested by operatives of the Command Monitoring Unit, Saki Operation Base, while acting on credible and actionable intelligence, and executed a coordinated intelligence-led operation in the Saki area of the state.
The statement reads, “The suspects, identified as Isiaka Dare ‘m’, aged 35 years, and Taiwo Ayodabo ‘m’, aged 33 years, both of Tede, were apprehended at Budo Mosalasi, Saki.
“Investigation so far reveals that the suspects operate across international terrain, trafficking ammunition illegally from the Republic of Benin into Nigeria through unauthorized border routes.
“Their criminal enterprise involves the clandestine importation and distribution of prohibited ammunition to unauthorised individuals within the country—arms and ammunition which may ultimately be deployed in the commission of armed robbery, banditry, kidnapping, and other violent crimes.”
The statement added, “Corroborating this intelligence, operatives recovered one hundred and five (105) packets of pump-action cartridges concealed in four (4) jerry cans/kegs, with each packet containing twenty-five (25) cartridges, amounting to a total of two thousand six hundred and twenty-five (2,625) cartridges.
“Two unregistered motorcycles believed to have been used for the illegal transportation and distribution of ammunition were equally recovered.
The suspects have confessed to the crime and are currently assisting investigators in unravelling the wider transnational network and identifying other accomplices involved in the illicit trade.”
The Commissioner of Police, Femi Haruna, has directed that the suspects be charged to court upon the conclusion of a thorough and comprehensive investigation.
The CP commended the professionalism and precision of the intelligence-led operation carried out by the Command Monitoring Unit, noting that proactive policing and actionable intelligence remain critical tools in dismantling organised criminal networks.
The Commissioner equally expressed appreciation to members of the public whose timely and credible information facilitated this breakthrough, emphasising that community partnership remains indispensable in the fight against violent crime.
He further reassured residents that the Oyo State Police Command will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the State does not serve as a haven for crime and criminality.
