The Oyo State Police Command has arrested three suspected members of an armed robbery gang allegedly responsible for a robbery attack in the Wofun-Olodo area of Ibadan, during which a 44-year-old woman, Mrs Wahab Rukayat, was killed.
The incident occurred on August 4, 2026, around 2:30am when armed men reportedly invaded the residence of one Alhaji Olatokunbo.
According to the police, Rukayat was killed during the attack, while other occupants of the house sustained serious injuries.
The robbers allegedly stole mobile phones, wristwatches, $400 and other valuables estimated at N3.493m.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Oyo State, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said the Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, subsequently ordered the transfer of the case to the Violent Crime Response Unit for investigation.
Ayanlade said the unit embarked on an intelligence-led investigation, which eventually led operatives to a suspected hideout in the Sabo area of Ibadan on October 2.
He said, “Acting on credible intelligence generated through painstaking investigation and aided by technology, operatives were led to a suspected criminal hideout in the Sabo area of Ibadan, where three suspects were arrested.”
The suspects were identified as 28-year-old Akinrinola Oluwatobi, 24-year-old Okunola Mathew and 23-year-old Ibrahim Rabiu.
Police said an iPhone 7 Plus belonging to one of the victims of the Wofun-Olodo robbery was recovered from the suspects.
According to the command, an identification parade was subsequently conducted, during which surviving victims allegedly identified the three suspects as members of the gang that carried out the attack.
The police also said the suspects confessed to participating in the robbery and disclosed the roles they allegedly played during the operation.
Ayanlade said the suspects admitted that valuables worth about N3.493m were taken during the attack and that the woman was killed in the course of the operation.
The suspects also reportedly linked themselves to other robbery incidents around the Wofun-Olodo and Akobo areas of Ibadan, according to the police.
The command said efforts were ongoing to arrest other members of the gang who remain at large, as well as individuals suspected of receiving or disposing of stolen proceeds.
The Commissioner of Police urged members of the public to continue providing credible information to security agencies to assist in preventing and investigating criminal activities.
The command also reiterated its commitment to using intelligence gathering, technology and community partnerships to tackle violent crime in the state.
