Ekiti Police Foil Armed Robbery, Rescue Kidnap Victims, Recover Stolen Truck Tyres
By Pan Afric Reporters
The Ekiti State Police Command has foiled an armed robbery operation, rescued two kidnapped victims and arrested two suspected armed robbers after a swift intelligence-led operation along the Ikole–Oye Road, recovering six stolen truck tyres and other exhibits.
The development was disclosed in a press release issued by the Ekiti State Police Command and signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Sunday Abutu, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police.
According to the statement, the incident occurred in the early hours of Monday, June 29, 2026, at about 3:00 a.m., when three armed hoodlums attacked a faulty petrol tanker parked along the Ikole–Oye Road.
The suspects reportedly robbed the tanker driver and his motor boy of their mobile phones before abducting them into a nearby bush, where they tied both victims to a tree.
The police said the hoodlums later returned to the tanker, removed six truck tyres and loaded them into an ash-coloured Ford minibus with the intention of escaping towards Kogi State.
However, acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the Command’s Safer Highway Patrol intercepted the vehicle, recovered all six stolen tyres and arrested two suspects identified as Ezekiel Balogun and Usman Wada, both from Kabba in Kogi State.
One other suspect reportedly escaped during the operation and is currently being tracked by the police.
According to the Command, the arrested suspects subsequently led police operatives to the location where the abducted driver and his motor boy were tied up, leading to their successful rescue without injuries.
“The arrested suspects led the police operatives to the bush where the abducted driver and his motor boy were rescued unharmed,” the statement said.
The Police Command disclosed that the case has been transferred to the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) for further investigation, while efforts have been intensified to apprehend the fleeing suspect and other accomplices.
Reacting to the successful operation, the Commissioner of Police, CP Falade Adegoroye Micheal, reaffirmed the Command’s resolve to sustain its fight against crime across the state.
He reassured residents of the Command’s unwavering commitment to protecting lives and property and appealed to members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information that would assist security agencies in combating criminal activities.
“The Command remains committed to protecting lives and property and urges members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information that will aid the fight against crime and criminality,” the Commissioner stated.
