Operatives of Operation Burst, a special joint security task force created by the Oyo State Government in the early hours of Sunday, arrested 24 hoodlums, some of them suspected to be members of the dreaded “One million boys” who are taking advantage of the ongoing #EndSARS protests to loot shops, rob people of their belongings and destroying properties.
According to Tribune Online on Sunday, they were arrested at various locations within Ibadan metropolis namely: Beyerunka, Oje, Beere, Kudeti, Oluyoro Oke-Ofa, Oke-Bola, Oke-Adu, Oranyan, Idi-Aro and environs.
Men of the Operation Burst were said to have acted on a tip-off from residents across the aforementioned locations, swiftly swung into action on Saturday evening and concluded the arrests around 12:58 am on Sunday.
Director-General of the security outfit, Colonel Oladipo Ajibola Rtd, informed that some of these hoodlums went as far as making bonfires under the guise of the ongoing EndSARS protests, while some of them were picked up at their various hideouts where they were drinking alcohol and smoking Indian Hemp.
He further stated that: “Aside from the fact that they were breaking into shops and looting goods, there have been series of complaints from residents that these group of people are not allowing them to sleep at night with their two eyes closed.
That they constantly constitute a nuisance, which in turn makes sleeping at night extremely difficult.
“It has been our resolve not to renege on our promise to ensure lives and properties in Oyo State are secured to the fullest and that any group of people who are bent to frustrate our efforts by way of causing a breach of public peace such as these ones who have just been arrested would be ruthlessly dealt with. We would ensure that we do all within our means to make Oyo State a peaceful haven for all and sundry.”