The Oyo State Police Command has arrested four suspected armed robbers and cultists following an intelligence-led raid on their hideout in Ibadan, the state capital.

The operational breakthrough was confirmed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the state command, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, in an official statement released in Ibadan.

The arrests were executed at approximately 6:00 a.m. by operatives attached to the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit. Acting on precise and actionable intelligence, the tactical team swarmed a designated criminal hideout located within the Soka area of the Ibadan metropolis.

Prior to the raid, security reports indicated that members of a notorious, armed criminal syndicate had converged on the location. Intelligence tracking revealed that the suspects were actively plotting to launch a fresh wave of violent armed robbery operations targeting residents and business owners within the immediate community.

During the swift tactical sweep, police operatives successfully cornered and apprehended four key members of the gang. The arrested suspects have been officially identified by the command as:

* Salawu Sarafa (popularly known as Folori)
* Yusuf Tajudeen (popularly known as Blacky)
* Farouq Ariyo
* Adebayo Awosemo (popularly known as Naira)

A thorough search of the immediate hideout led to the recovery of one locally made pistol along with incriminating operational materials. During preliminary interrogations by detectives, the four suspects voluntarily confessed to being a active members of Eiye Supremo Confraternity. They further admitted to their direct involvement in a string of recent violent robberies and cult-related disturbances across Ibadan and its surrounding environs.

The Oyo State Police Command stated that discreet investigations are actively ongoing to uncover the full extent of the syndicate’s criminal footprint and to trace their financial assets and receivers of stolen goods.

DSP Ayanlade emphasized that intensive tracking efforts are underway to apprehend remaining fleeing members of the gang who escaped the initial dragnet. The command reiterated its zero-tolerance policy regarding violent crime and cultism, urging members of the public to maintain a high level of vigilance and to consistently feed law enforcement units with timely, localized information to prevent crimes before they occur.