The Oyo State police command has arrested a suspected armed robber and recovered a stolen motorcycle in Ibadan.

The suspect, identified as Shafiu Nuhu, allegedly attacked a commercial motorcyclist with a hammer before fleeing with the victim’s motorcycle on Thursday.

A statement on Saturday by the command’s spokesman, Ayanlade Olayinka, said the incident occurred on July 16, 2026, at about 11: 30 a.m.

Mr Olayinka said the command received credible information from a public-spirited resident that a commercial motorcyclist, later identified as Muhammadu Kamilu, had been attacked and dispossessed of his Bajaj Boxer motorcycle by a passenger who struck him with an iron hammer along Adeniji Estate, Apata, Ibadan.

“Acting promptly on the actionable intelligence, operatives of the Command Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) were immediately deployed to the scene,” Mr Olayinka said.

He said the operation led to the arrest of the suspect and the recovery of the stolen motorcycle with registration number AJW 842 QU, as well as the iron hammer allegedly used to carry out the attack.

“As a result of the violent assault, the victim, Muhammadu Kamilu, sustained injuries. Also injured was Nathaniel Ibrahim, a good Samaritan who courageously intervened in an attempt to rescue the victim from the attacker,” he said. 

Mr Olayinka added that both victims were promptly taken to a nearby hospital, where they received medical attention.

“Subsequent interrogation of the suspect yielded useful information, as he confessed to operating as a lone armed robber specialising in attacking and robbing commercial motorcyclists within Ibadan and its environs,” he said. 

The police spokesperson said investigations are ongoing to determine the suspect’s possible involvement in other similar criminal activities and to recover any additional exhibits linked to his operations.