The police command in Oyo State says it has arrested five suspects for unlawful possession of a firearm following an intelligence-led operation in Ibadan.

In a statement on Friday, the command’s spokesperson, Ayanlade Olayinka, said an operation was conducted at about 11:16 a.m. on Wednesday following credible information received by detectives attached to the Mapo Divisional Headquarters.

According to the statement, officers acted on the intelligence and searched a building at Oke Labo, Ibadan. The operation led to the arrest of five suspects and the recovery of one locally made pistol and seven live cartridges.

The suspects are Ijo Lekan, Abdulateef Ishola, Idowu Rasheed, Azeez Olalekan and Seun Adeniran.

It added that other suspects connected to the operation were still at large, while the arrested suspects were undergoing investigation.

“During interrogation, the suspects confessed to being members of an armed robbery syndicate and admitted to participating in several violent attacks and other criminal activities within Ibadan,” the statement said.

It added that all suspects were currently providing useful information to facilitate the identification and arrest of other syndicate members and the recovery of additional evidence.

The state Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga, directed a comprehensive investigation to obtain more information about the suspects’ activities and identify other members of the syndicate to ensure that all persons connected to the crimes were brought to justice.

The command encouraged the public to provide timely and credible information to assist the police, assuring them of its unwavering commitment to safeguarding lives and property across the state.