Police, Amotekun Arrest Cattle Rustlers In Oyo, Ekiti

Oyo State Police Command has arrested two suspected cattle rustlers and recovered 26 stolen cows following a swift security operation in the Iresadu area of the state.

The command’s public relations officer, Ayanlade Olayinka, a deputy superintendent of police, in a statement yesterday, said the suspects: Abu Muhammed and Aliu Bello, were apprehended after police operatives responded to a distress report at the Iresadu Police Division.

In a related development, the operatives of Ekiti State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun Corps, have arrested some suspected cattle rustlers.

Acting on intelligence in the Oyo case, he said the officers intercepted the suspects while attempting to conceal the stolen cattle at Odojaye via Aganyan, Iresadu.

Police sources disclosed that preliminary investigations confirmed the cattle were stolen, adding that the successful recovery was a result of intelligence-led policing and collaboration with community security stakeholders.

According to him, during interrogation, the suspects reportedly confessed to their involvement in the crime and provided useful information regarding the criminal network behind the cattle rustling operation.

The police said efforts were ongoing to arrest other members of the gang and recover the remaining stolen livestock.

The command commended members of the public for providing timely information that led to the arrests and acknowledged the support of non-state security actors, who contributed to the operation’s success.

It also reiterated its commitment to protecting lives and property across the state, urging residents to continue cooperating with security agencies by providing credible information to aid crime prevention and investigation.

It assured the public that the Command remains resolute in maintaining law and order and ensuring a safe environment for all residents of Oyo State.

In Ekiti State, security operatives said the suspects, numbering 16, were apprehended while allegedly trying to migrate from Kwara State to Ekiti State.

The Director of Information of the Corps in the state, Mr Abiodun Adeleye, who disclosed this to Newsmen, said the movement of the suspects sighted with their cattle around the Gede Farm settlement in Isan-Ekiti had caused panic among residents of the community.

Adeleye said the corps in Oye local government area immediately called for reinforcements from nearby outposts where the suspects were apprehended.

The suspects were said to have confessed that they fled Kwara state, following intensified security operations against banditry in the state and their involvement in cattle rustling targeted at local herders.

Some of the items recovered from the suspects include cash, seven mobile phones,  charms, three Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) identity cards and herds of cattle.

According to Adeleye, the suspects had been handed over to the Rapid Response Squad of the Ekiti State Police Command in Ado-Ekiti for further interrogation and investigation.