Oyo State Police Command, on Sunday, confirmed the arrest of three suspects in connection with the hijacking of a truck loaded with 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit popularly known as petrol on the Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode Road.
A statement by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso in Ibadan, the state capital, said the recovered product belongs to the NIPCO Petroleum Nigeria Limited.
He said, “On April 5, 2025, at approximately 1:00 am, the command’s Monitoring Unit received actionable intelligence regarding a hijacking incident involving a DAF truck with registration number Adamawa YLA 575 ZY on the Ijebu-Ode-Ibadan road.
“Preliminary investigations indicated the involvement of an armed group equipped with sophisticated firearms.
“In response to this intelligence, specialised operatives from the command’s monitoring unit were swiftly activated to investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“Their efforts led to the discovery of the hijacked truck at the Lincoln Filling Station, Odo-Ona Kekere, Ibadan, where the suspects were in the process of syphoning the PMS.
“The police operatives apprehended two suspects, Oyekunle Olaoluwa, 35 years, and Akanji Ladele (real name undisclosed), 51 years, at the scene.”
Osifeso explained that during preliminary investigations, the suspects disclosed that the hijacked truck was transferred to them by a third individual known as Femi, who allegedly masterminded the hijacking alongside his accomplices.
“This revelation led to the identification and subsequent arrest of Basiru Azeez, 30, a pivotal figure in the operation who has since confessed to his role in orchestrating the hijacking and provided details on how the truck was diverted after the crime,” the statement added.
The police then assured the public that investigations would continue diligently, focusing on dismantling the criminal network and holding all individuals involved accountable for their actions.
The PPRO, therefore, charged members of the public to stay vigilant and report suspicious activities to the local police, emphasising that active participation is vital to the command’s collective effort in fighting against crime.
By Ademola Adegbite