Posted by Chinenye on Fri 03rd Jul, 2026 - tori.ng
Police have dismantled a suspected robbery syndicate after an intelligence-led operation led to multiple arrests and the recovery of illegal firearms
(Police. Photo by Daily Trust)
The Ondo State Police Command says it has arrested four persons in connection with an @rmed r0bbery incident that occurred in Alade-Idanre community, Idanre Local Government Area of the state.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the command's Public Relations Officer, Abayomi Jimoh, on Friday.
According to the statement, the suspects were identified as Alex Omotayo, Adeleye Bolu, Osho Ibukun and Nura Umar.
The PRO said the command had arrested four suspected @rmed r0bbers linked to a burglary syndicate operating within Idanre and its surrounding areas, an operation that also led to the recovery of illegal firearms, further demonstrating the command's commitment to safeguarding lives and property across the state.
He explained that the investigation began following a report lodged on June 15, 2026, at the Alade/Atosin Police Station by a resident of Alade-Idanre, who alleged that unknown persons had broken into his cocoa store overnight and made away with a bag of cocoa valued at N1,250,000.
He said that through diligent intelligence gathering and investigative work by detectives, the perpetrators were identified as Alex Omotayo, Adeleye Bolu, Osho Ibukun, Nura Umar and other accomplices who remain at large, adding that operatives, acting on credible intelligence, arrested the four named suspects and proceeded to investigate the broader activities of the criminal gang.
According to the PRO, further information uncovered during the investigation revealed that on March 13, 2026, the principal suspect, Alex Omotayo, had allegedly stormed the premises of Idanre High School armed with two firearms and threatened to k!ll a security guard whom he accused of shooting at him the previous night.
He said this revelation further exposed the suspect's violent criminal tendencies and prompted a thorough search of his residence, which was carried out under a search warrant.
During the search, officers recovered a cut-to-size single-barrel firearm and a locally made revolver concealed on the premises.
The recovered weapons have since been taken into police custody as exhibits and will form part of the ongoing investigation, Jimoh stated.
He added that the case, along with the four suspects, had been transferred to the command's Anti-Cultism Unit in Akure for further investigation, noting that efforts were ongoing to apprehend the remaining fleeing members of the gang and to ensure that all those found culpable are diligently prosecuted.
The command urged members of the public to remain vigilant and continue providing timely and credible information to the police, stressing that community partnership remains essential to the collective effort to keep the state safe and secure.