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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Crime & Justice

Police foil robbery in Ekiti, arrest two

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Ekiti State Police Command foiled a robbery attempt on the Oye-Ikole Road, arresting two suspects and rescuing two victims.
  • The suspects robbed the driver and motor boy of a petrol tanker, abducted them, and stole six truck tires.
  • Police intercepted the suspects' vehicle, recovered the stolen tires, and are searching for a third suspect who escaped.

Ekiti State Police Command successfully thwarted a robbery operation on the Oye-Ikole Road, apprehending two suspects and rescuing two victims. The operation, a result of intelligence-led policing, also led to the recovery of stolen property.

In the early hours of Monday, 29th June, 2026, at about 3 am, a gang of three armed hoodlums attacked a faulty petrol tanker along the Ikole-Oye Road.

— Sunday AbutuThe Police Public Relations Officer described the beginning of the robbery incident.

According to Sunday Abutu, the Police Public Relations Officer for Ekiti State, the incident occurred in the early hours of Monday, June 29, 2026. A gang of three armed individuals attacked a faulty petrol tanker. They robbed the driver and his assistant of their mobile phones before abducting them into a nearby bush, where they were tied to a tree.

The hoodlums 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.

— Sunday AbutuThe Police Public Relations Officer detailed the initial actions of the robbers.

The assailants then proceeded to remove six truck tires from the tanker, loading them into an ash-colored Ford minibus with the intention of escaping towards Kogi State. However, operatives from the Safer Highway Patrol, acting on credible intelligence, intercepted the vehicle. They recovered all the stolen tires and arrested two suspects, identified as Ezekiel Balogun and Usman Wada, both from Kabba, Kogi State. A third suspect managed to escape and is currently at large.

The suspects subsequently returned to the tanker, removed six truck tyres, and loaded them into an ash-coloured Ford minibus, intending to flee towards Kogi State.

— Sunday AbutuThe Police Public Relations Officer explained the suspects' subsequent actions and escape plan.

The arrested suspects led the police to the bush where the abducted driver and motor boy were found unharmed. The case has been transferred to the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit for further investigation. The Commissioner of Police, Michael Falade, reassured residents of the command's commitment to safety and urged the public to continue providing information to aid crime-fighting efforts.

The arrested suspects led the police operatives to the bush where the abducted driver and his motor boy were rescued unharmed.

— Sunday AbutuThe Police Public Relations Officer confirmed the rescue of the victims.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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