The Oyo State Police Command on Monday said its men have foiled a bank robbery before it was carried out by an armed gang in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.
The police said the criminal gang planned the robbery in connivance with a staff of a new generation bank, who was employed as a contract worker.
The spokesman for the police command, Adewale Osifeso, in a statement, said a woman and four others have been arrested for their involvement in the planned robbery.
Osifeso, who disclosed that the police foiled the planned attack a day before the hoodlums struck, said the suspects were picked from their hideout around Odo Ona area of Ibadan after an intelligence report.
He said: “The Oyo State Police Command in an intelligence-led and purposeful driven operation has identified, tracked and apprehended members of a criminal gang specialised in carrying out well-coordinated robbery attacks on banks.
“Preliminary investigation reveals that the criminal gang comprising of Abass Azeez ‘m’ 42yrs, Mayowa Kehinde ‘m’ 29yrs contract staff/marketer with a new generation bank, Rildwan Eniola ‘m’ 33yrs, Mistura Akinade ‘f’ 33yrs, Abass Aderoju ‘m’ 41yrs and Akeem Adeniyi ‘m’ 37yrs were all nabbed at their Agara Odo-Ona hideout along Akala Expressway, Ibadan on Monday 13/06/2022 at about 2100hrs after concluding plans to execute a bloody bank robbery attack on another new generation bank within the metropolis at the early hours of Tuesday 14/06/2022.
“The suspects have all confessed their various involvements in the criminal operations which include arms procurement and clandestine intelligence gathering ahead of the proposed date of perpetrating the dastardly act.
“While comprehensive investigations are in progress to crackdown the criminal network and other accomplices, the Oyo State Police Command enjoins the good people of the State to continue partnering with the police in terms of providing timely and credible information valuable in curbing criminality and maintaining the relative tranquility enjoyed in the State.
“In cases of emergency, the Command can always be reached through these emergency control room numbers: 615 (toll free) (OYO STATE SECURITY TRUST FUND), and Oyo State Police Command emergency lines 07055495413 and 08081768614.
“The NPF rescue me app is also available for free download on both Android and Apple IOS, for Android and I phone users respectively.”
