Ondo Police arrest two suspected armed robbers, recover locally made revolver

Crime Diary

AKURE, Nigeria (NPA) — The Ondo State Police Command has arrested two suspected members of an armed robbery syndicate and recovered a locally made revolver and other exhibits in Akure.

The arrests were made on Sept. 27, 2026, by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), Ondo State Command, following what the police described as credible intelligence.

The suspects were identified as Isreal Abakah, 35, and Gbene Emmanuel, 37. They were arrested at different locations within the Akure metropolis during intelligence-led operations.

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In a statement issued on Friday by the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, the police said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspects allegedly belonged to an armed robbery syndicate suspected of terrorising residents of Akure and surrounding communities.

The police said operatives subsequently raided the gang’s hideout in the Olufoam area of Akure, where they recovered a locally made revolver capable of holding four rounds of ammunition.

Other exhibits recovered included suspected criminal charms, a laptop, motorcycle mirrors and a number plate.

According to the police, the suspects have allegedly confessed to involvement in several armed robbery operations within Akure metropolis and its environs.

The Command said the alleged confessions and recovered exhibits were being subjected to further investigation to establish the full extent of the suspects’ activities and facilitate prosecution.

The police said efforts had been intensified to apprehend other suspected members of the syndicate who remain at large, identify individuals and communities that may have been affected, and recover additional exhibits.

The investigation will also determine the possible involvement of the suspects in other reported armed robbery cases, the Command said.

The Commissioner of Police, Ondo State Command, CP Felix Ohagwu, commended the VCRU operatives for what he described as professionalism and swift response to credible intelligence.

Ohagwu reiterated the Command’s determination to dismantle criminal networks and ensure that persons involved in violent crimes are brought to justice in accordance with the law.

He urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements and activities to the nearest police station or through established police communication channels.

The commissioner stressed that timely and credible information from members of the public remained essential to preventing and detecting crime.

The Command assured residents that it would sustain intelligence-led operations and other proactive security measures to safeguard lives and property across the state.