The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a suspected armed robber and recovered a stolen motorcycle following a swift operation by its operatives in Ibadan.

The command said the suspect, identified as Shafiu Nuhu, was arrested after allegedly attacking a commercial motorcyclist with an iron hammer and stealing his motorcycle along Adeniji Estate, Apata, Ibadan.

The command’s spokesperson, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said the arrest followed credible information received from members of the public.

According to him, the victim, Muhammadu Kamilu, was attacked by a passenger, who allegedly struck him with an iron hammer before fleeing with his Bajaj Boxer motorcycle.

Acting on the intelligence, operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) were immediately deployed to the area, leading to the arrest of the suspect and the recovery of the stolen Bajaj Boxer motorcycle with registration number AJW 842 QU.

Police also recovered the iron hammer allegedly used in the attack.

Ayanlade said the victim sustained injuries during the incident, while a good Samaritan, Nathaniel Ibrahim, was also injured while attempting to rescue the motorcyclist from the assailant.

Both men were taken to a nearby hospital, where they received treatment.

According to the police, the suspect confessed during interrogation to operating as a lone robber who specialised in attacking commercial motorcyclists in Ibadan and its environs.

The command said investigations were ongoing to determine the suspect’s involvement in other similar crimes and to recover additional exhibits linked to his activities.

Commending members of the public for providing timely information, the Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, also praised the bravery of the good Samaritan whose intervention contributed to the suspect’s arrest.

He urged residents to remain vigilant and continue supporting security agencies by promptly reporting suspicious persons and activities.

The commissioner reiterated the command’s commitment to intelligence-led policing and assured residents that efforts to rid the state of violent criminals would be sustained.

Meanwhile, the Yobe State Police Command has uncovered a suspected drug warehouse and arrested a 35-year-old man, Alhaji Abbas, in Danchuwa community, Potiskum Local Council of the state.

The command said the suspect was arrested in possession of large quantities of illicit drugs.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Dungus Abdulkarim, said the operation marked another significant breakthrough in its sustained crackdown on drug trafficking, substance abuse and other violent crimes.

According to him, on July 17, 2026, at about 2:50 a.m., operatives of the Yindiski Divisional Police Headquarters, Potiskum, acting on credible intelligence, carried out a coordinated sting operation on a suspected drug warehouse belonging to Abbas.

He said the operation led to the recovery of eight cartons of assorted illicit drugs, one and a half Ghana-Must-Go bags containing Tramadol and Exzol tablets, and N835,500, suspected to be proceeds from the illicit drug trade.

Abdulkarim disclosed that the operation was met with violent resistance from members of the criminal syndicate, who attacked the operatives in an attempt to rescue the suspect.

However, the officers successfully repelled the attack.

He said a number of police personnel sustained minor injuries, while a police vehicle was damaged during the encounter.

“The injured officers have been evacuated to hospital and are responding to treatment.

Investigation is ongoing, and the arrested suspect is assisting the police with useful information aimed at apprehending the fleeing members of the syndicate,” he said.

In a separate operation, operatives attached to the Potiskum Area Command on July 15, 2026, arrested Saidu Mohammed, 40, of Jalam Village, Bauchi State, a suspected kidnapping kingpin and armed robbery suspect who had long been on the command’s watchlist.

The arrest followed a complaint received on July 11, 2026, from a victim who reported receiving a threatening telephone call the previous day demanding N10 million and ordering him to relocate or risk being killed.

The police said detectives immediately launched a technology-driven, intelligence-led investigation, which resulted in the suspect’s arrest.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Mohammed allegedly operated across Bauchi, Yobe and Gombe states.

The command said efforts were ongoing to apprehend other members of the criminal syndicate.

The Commissioner of Police, Usman Kanfani Jibrin, commended the officers for their gallantry and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to combating drug trafficking, tackling violent crime and ensuring the safety and security of residents across Yobe State.