Police Arrest Two Suspected Armed Robbers, Rescue Kidnap Victims In Ekiti

The Ekiti State Police Command has arrested two suspected armed robbers, rescued two kidnap victims and recovered six stolen truck tyres during an intelligence-led operation along the Ikole-Oye Road.

The operation followed an attack on a faulty petrol tanker at about 3:00 a.m on Monday, June 29, according to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Sunday Abutu.

The police said three armed hoodlums allegedly attacked the stranded tanker, robbing the driver and his motor boy of their mobile phones before abducting them into a nearby bush, where they were tied to a tree.

The suspects reportedly returned to the vehicle and removed six truck tyres, loading them into an ash-coloured Ford minibus in an attempt to flee towards Kogi State.

Acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the Safer Highway Patrol intercepted the vehicle, recovered all six stolen tyres and arrested two suspects identified as Ezekiel Balogun and Usman Wada, both of Kabba in Kogi State.

According to the police, one other suspect escaped and remains at large.

The command disclosed that the arrested suspects subsequently led investigators to the location where the abducted tanker driver and his motor boy were being held, resulting in the successful rescue of both victims without injuries.

The case has since been transferred to the Command's Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) for further investigation, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspect and recover any additional evidence linked to the crime.

Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Falade Adegoroye Micheal, reaffirmed the command's commitment to safeguarding lives and property across the state.

He also appealed to residents to continue supporting security agencies by providing timely and credible information that could assist in preventing and combating criminal activities.