Detectives from the Ondo State Police Command have arrested a notorious gunrunner and local arms fabricator accused of supplying firearms to criminal gangs operating across at least four states.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Olushola Ayanlade, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing journalists in Akure. He said the breakthrough followed an armed robbery in Irele Local Government Area, where a gang of robbers attacked a woman, dispossessed her of an unregistered TVS motorcycle, ₦250,000 cash, and other valuables.
According to Ayanlade, police operatives quickly intervened, shooting one of the suspects in the leg and arresting him at the scene. Two accomplices were later tracked down and apprehended at a hotel in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area.
Further investigations led officers to the gunrunner, who had long been on the command’s watchlist. The suspect allegedly operated an extensive arms supply network spanning Ondo, Osun, Edo, Kogi, and Kwara states.
“This breakthrough marks a significant step in disrupting the flow of illegal weapons fuelling violent crimes such as armed robbery and banditry in the region,” Ayanlade stated.
He confirmed that four suspects have already been arraigned on charges of armed robbery and attempted murder, while efforts are underway to apprehend fleeing members of the syndicate.
The Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, commended the operatives for their swift response, warning that criminals would find no safe haven in Ondo State.
“There will be no hiding place for criminals. We will continue to dismantle their networks and ensure that peace and security prevail in every community,” he said.
The police urged residents to support security operations with credible information, assuring the public that all reports would be treated with utmost confidentiality.
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