From Richard Akintade, Osogbo
Amotekun Corps has apprehended two suspected highway robbers during a routine patrol along Ilesa-Ibadan Expressway in Osun State.
The suspects, identified as Chima Eze, 29, and Sunday Okori, 41, both natives of Ebonyi State and residents of Mowe in Ogun State, were arrested on Saturday, March 7 at 11:35pm while attempting to rob a vehicle transporting goods from Ibadan.
According to preliminary reports, the suspects and their accomplices had set up a trap along the highway in an attempt to intercept the commercial vehicle.
However, the driver of the vehicle managed to escape from the ambush and immediately alerted nearby operatives of the Osun Amotekun Corps who were on routine patrol in the area.
Acting swiftly on the information, the Amotekun operatives mobilised to the scene.
Upon sighting the security personnel, the suspects attempted to flee into the surrounding bush, abandoning the already robbed vehicle.
The operatives pursued the fleeing gang members and successfully apprehended two of them, while the remaining two suspects managed to escape.
During preliminary interrogation, the arrested suspects reportedly confessed to being members of a four-man robbery gang.
They also disclosed that the group began their criminal operations in early 2025, targeting motorists and commercial vehicles along major highways.
The suspects stated that they joined the gang because their street hawking business in Lagos was not progressing, adding that one of the gang members, who is currently at large, introduced them to highway robbery.
They added that after robbing motorists plying the expressway, the items taken from the victims would be transported to Lagos and sold.
The suspects took the operatives to an uncompleted building inside a forest along the expressway where cartons of solar lights, different types of baby clothes, two tape rulers, one torchlight and two long woods were recovered.
Reacting to the development, the Commander of Osun Amotekun Corps, Chief Adekunle Omoyele commended the operatives of Ilesa Area Command for their prompt and professional response to the incident.
He specifically praised the team led by the Area Commander, Ilori John for their outstanding performance in apprehending the suspects believed to be responsible for the recent robbery activities along Ilesa-Ibadan Expressway.
The corps commander assured the public that the suspects will face the full weight of the law upon conclusion of ongoing investigations. He also stated that efforts are currently underway to track down and arrest the remaining members of the gang who fled the scene.
Omoyele urged residents to remain vigilant and to promptly report any suspicious activities or criminal elements within their communities to the appropriate security agencies.
He said the suspects would be handed over to the Department of State Services, DSS, for further questioning and legal proceedings.
