The Oyo State police command has arrested six suspected armed robbers following a five-week intelligence-gathering operation across the state.

In a statement on Monday, the command’s spokesperson, Ayanlade Olayinka, said the suspects were arrested in the early hours of Saturday at about 0415 hours.

The suspects were identified as Yusuf Adeyemi, Isiaka Kayode, Yusuf Basiru, Adewale Lawal, Saheed Lateef and Idowu Olanrewaju.

“The arrest followed painstaking intelligence gathering and surveillance by the command, which had been monitoring the activities of the gang before moving in to apprehend its members,” the statement said.

According to the command, a search conducted during the operation led to the recovery of five firearms: one fabricated English-made pistol, one revolver pistol, one pump-action gun, one locally made cut-to-size gun and one locally made pistol.

It added, “Five live cartridges and four cutlasses were also recovered as exhibits.”

The statement explained that, during interrogation, the suspects confessed to being members of a criminal gang responsible for terrorising residents of Ibadan and its environs.

It noted that their confessions formed part of the ongoing investigation aimed at uncovering the full extent of the gang’s criminal activities and identifying other individuals connected to its operations.

“Consequently, the suspects remain in police custody as investigations continue to establish their involvement in other criminal incidents and determine their possible connection to additional cases of armed robbery within the state,” the statement noted.

The Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, reaffirmed the command’s resolve to sustain intelligence-led operations against armed robbery and other violent crimes.

He also appreciated members of the public for their continued cooperation, urging residents to provide credible and actionable information to assist the police in preventing and detecting criminal activities.