Operatives of the Anti-Robbery Team of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested two suspected armed robbers and recovered three locally made pistols and 18 live cartridges in a follow-up operation across Ogun and Lagos states.

The suspects, identified as Adeyinka Onakomaya, 46, and Olayiwola Kehinde, 48, were apprehended for their alleged involvement in armed robbery, carjacking and unlawful possession of firearms.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, in a statement on Wednesday, said the breakthrough followed months of sustained intelligence gathering after the recovery of a stolen red Toyota Matrix in April 2026.

According to him, the vehicle was linked to an armed robbery incident reported in April, prompting detectives to expand their investigation, which led them to the hideouts of the suspects.

Babaseyi stated that Onakomaya was tracked to the Babaode area along Idiroko Road, Ota, in Ogun State, while Kehinde was arrested in the Command area of Lagos State.

He disclosed that preliminary investigations revealed that the two men, alongside other gang members, masterminded the April robbery and were also linked to a series of violent vehicle snatchings in Ota, Iju, Babaode and Atan areas of Ogun State.

“Upon their arrest, a thorough search led to the recovery of three locally made pistols and 18 live cartridges,” the PPRO said.

During interrogation, both suspects reportedly confessed to their roles in several armed robbery operations within the state.

The image maker said efforts were ongoing to track down and arrest other fleeing members of the syndicate for prosecution.

He also quoted the Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, as commending the operatives for their tenacity and operational efficiency, adding that the recovery and arrests demonstrated the Command’s resolve not to abandon any criminal case.

“The recovery of the firearms and the arrest of key syndicate members underscore the Command’s determination not to leave any criminal investigation incomplete,” he stated.

The CP reassured residents that the Command remained committed to dismantling armed robbery networks and making Ogun State unsafe for criminals, urging members of the public to support the police by reporting suspicious activities.

Justice Faruk Hassan Bunza of the Kebbi State High Court has recounted his experience in captivity, detailing how he was abducted from his residence, taken to a bandits’ camp and eventually escaped after days in captivity.

The account was disclosed on Tuesday by a conflict reporter covering the North-West region, Bakastine, in a post on his X handle.

According to the report, five armed men abducted the judge from his residence in Bunza Local Government Area and forced him to trek about 25 kilometres barefoot to the Dutsen Bandan camp.

Bunza said he met two other kidnapped Fulani men at the camp.

The following day, the bandits showed him photographs of himself and the Chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Nura Umar Abdullahi.

He said the abductors told him they had been instructed to kidnap both men but did not disclose who had given the order.

The judge also recounted how the bandits showed him newspaper reports about his abduction and told him they were aware of reports that N200 million had been earmarked for his release.

He said no fewer than 20 bandits were operating from the camp and that they relied on informants who supplied information from surrounding communities, while also maintaining contact with their families.

Bunza said the bandits remained constantly alert despite being heavily armed, noting that they once warned him against coughing because they feared he might draw attention to their location.

DAILY POST gathered that the judge’s family eventually paid N50 million to secure his release, after which most of the bandits left the camp, leaving two men behind to guard him.

Bunza said he later overheard the two remaining abductors arguing, with one suggesting that he should be killed, before he realised at about 5 pm that he had been left alone.

He said he removed the covering over his face and escaped on foot, eventually reaching a village where he boarded a commercial motorcycle.

Bunza was abducted from his residence on July 26 and regained his freedom on August 3 after about eight days in captivity.

His release was subsequently confirmed by the Kebbi State Police Command, his family and the state Ministry of Justice.

Reflecting on the experience, Bunza said the ordeal would not deter him from carrying out his duties.

“My kidnapping can never deter me from my work. I swear to Almighty Allah, nothing on this earth can change my attitude to work. It will motivate me to double my effort,” he said.

Eight commercial motorcycle operators, popularly known as Okada riders, have been arrested by operatives of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit, also known as the Task Force, following an alleged attack on security personnel during an operation in the Apongbon-Marina area.

The suspects were reportedly part of a group of motorcycle operators who resisted the seizure of their motorcycles and allegedly confronted enforcement personnel with dangerous weapons, including broken bottles, machetes and cutlasses.

The incident occurred in Apongbon and adjoining areas while Task Force operatives were enforcing restrictions on motorcycle operations along designated routes.

The agency said some other individuals suspected of involvement in criminal activities were also apprehended during the operation.

The arrested suspects were identified as Buba Umar, 40; Musa Usman, 30; Gambo Dauda, 32; Shagari Bulba, 42; Auwalu Mohammed, 30; Idris Hassan, 25; Wale Yusuf, 43, also known as Babalawo; Ohnosi Osaseti; and Sagiru Asiru.

The Task Force said the suspects were apprehended during a confrontation that reportedly broke out when they attempted to recover motorcycles seized by enforcement officers.

One of the suspects allegedly told investigators that motorcycle operators had been mobilised to resist government efforts to enforce restrictions on Okada operations along prohibited highways.

The agency further said some of those arrested acknowledged that their motorcycles had previously been impounded during enforcement exercises but continued to operate on restricted routes because of the financial returns from the business.

During questioning, Yusuf allegedly disclosed that the group intended to mount stronger resistance against future enforcement operations targeting commercial motorcycles.

The Chairman of the Task Force, CSP Adetayo Akerele said the suspects had been placed under surveillance following repeated complaints concerning alleged attacks on uniformed personnel after enforcement operations in the area.

Akerele said residents, including elderly members of the community, had raised concerns about the activities of some Okada operators and their alleged confrontations with security personnel.

“I received complaints from residents and senior citizens alleging that Okada operators forming an esprit de corps, if allowed unchecked, could pose a serious threat to residents, pedestrians and schoolchildren. I immediately put strategies in place to track them down,” he said.

The Task Force chairman assured that those arrested would face prosecution in accordance with the law, stressing that the action would serve as a deterrent to individuals who resort to violence to frustrate legitimate government enforcement.

Akerele also warned that enforcement against motorcycles operating on restricted routes would continue across Lagos.

He added that efforts were underway to identify and apprehend other suspects who allegedly escaped from the scene during the confrontation.

“I urge members of the public to continue reporting suspicious activities through our official feedback channels for prompt action.

“We will not retreat or surrender in our drive to make the state’s roads free of recalcitrant Okada operators, who are generally seen as a threat to our collective security,” he said.