The Ogun State Police Command says it has arrested 38 suspects and recovered firearms, ammunition, vehicles and other items in operations conducted across the state in the first week of August.
In a statement, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Olusegun Babaseyi, said the operations targeted suspected cult activities, armed robbery, fraud and other crimes.
He said; “three suspected members of a kidnapping gang were killed during an operation at their hideout along the Sagamu-Abeokuta Expressway on August 6, following the rescue of seven victims abducted on July 29 in Ipara Remo.”
According to him, the victims were rescued on August 3 in a coordinated operation involving security agencies, while an AK-47 rifle, a magazine, four mobile phones and N2.3 million were recovered from the suspected hideout.
Babaseyi said 23 foreign nationals were also arrested in Atan-Ota over alleged involvement in a suspected Ponzi and visa scam.
He said; “21 were handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service for further investigation, while two remained in police custody over alleged fraud offences.”
He said that 12 suspected cult members were arrested in Igbesa following reports of harassment and extortion at a hotel. Several others reportedly escaped, while weapons, cult-related items, eight motorcycles, a Lexus vehicle and a Toyota Camry were recovered.
The police spokesperson also said a suspected fraudster, accused of posing as a clergyman and collecting about N2.5 million from 18 fellowship members under the pretext of organising a government-sponsored pilgrimage, was arrested.
He said other operations led to the arrest of a suspected armed robber and the recovery of a locally fabricated pistol, a stolen Toyota Hilux, a commercial tricycle and an abandoned motorcycle.
Babaseyi said “a submachine gun and 75 rounds of live ammunition were also discovered in a damaged wardrobe at a rented apartment following the death of its former occupant.”
He said investigation was ongoing to establish how the weapons were concealed there.
The Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, commended the officers and other security agencies involved in the operations, stressing the importance of intelligence sharing and coordinated action in combating crime.
He urged residents to remain vigilant and provide credible information to the police, assuring that investigations into the cases were ongoing.
