Oyo Police Arrest 10 Over Alleged Impersonation

The Oyo State Police Command has arrested 10 people who specialize in the forgery of official documents, stamps, and certificates of various government and private organizations operating from a hideout within the Ogunpa area of Ibadan.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ayanlade Olayinka who confirmed the arrest in Ibadan on Sunday, said n line with the sustained efforts of the Command to ensure the safety of lives and property, as well as to uphold justice across the State, operatives of the Command Monitoring Unit successfully apprehended a syndicate of individuals involved in impersonation.

He placed on record the critical role of timely intelligence sharing and cooperation by members of the public, which significantly contributed to the success of this operation.

According to him, this breakthrough once again underscores the importance of sustained community partnership in crime prevention and intelligence-led policing.

The Command, therefore encouraged members of the public to continue to provide credible and timely information to security agencies.

“On the 9th of April, actionable intelligence was received indicating that a group of individuals specializing in the forgery of official documents, stamps, and certificates of various government and private organizations were operating from a hideout within the Ogunpa area of Ibadan”, he said.

He said acting swiftly on the intelligence, operatives conducted a coordinated operation which led to the arrest of the following suspects, Mumini Akanbi, male, 62 years, Quadri Muhammed, male, 31 years, Salami Tajudeen, male, 50 years, Oladipupo Hammed, male, 45 years and Oladipupo Taiwo, male, 40 years.

Others were Olorunosebi Kazzeem, male, 42 years, Fatai Akanni, male, 54 years, Alamu Kazeem, male, 60 years, Olalekan Afeez, male, 42 years and Alex Olanrewaju, male, 64 years

He said ubsequently, search warrants were duly executed at the suspects’ operational bases, leading to the recovery of several incriminating exhibits which included a printed fake Police Character Certificate, Nigeria Police Force Criminal Investigation Department (CID) stamps, and Ogun State CID Eleweran Office stamp.

Others were Iyaganku Area Command Office stamp, various Divisional Police Officer office stamps, Oyo State government stamps from different ministries and departments, stamps of different commercial banks, as well as stamps belonging to several private organizations.

Olayinka added that preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were members of a well-organized syndicate engaged in the production and use of forged instruments for the purpose of impersonation.

All suspects have confessed to their involvement in the criminal enterprise and are currently providing useful information to aid ongoing investigations.

He said the Commissioner of Police have commended the operatives involved in the successful operation for their professionalism, diligence, and swift response to actionable intelligence.

He further appreciated members of the public for their continuous support, accurate and timely information, and cooperation with the Police, which remain vital to effective policing and crime control in the state.

The Command reiterated that investigation was still ongoing, and all suspects would be duly charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.

Members of the public were also advised to always follow due process and make use of appropriate and official channels when obtaining public documents, certificates, and other sensitive instruments in order to avoid falling victim to fraudsters and impersonators.

He said the Command remains fully committed to ridding the state of all forms of criminality and urges residents to remain vigilant and continue to collaborate with security agencies in the collective effort to sustain peace and security.