The Oyo State Police Command has announced the arrest of a serving police corporal and eight other suspects over alleged involvement in cultism and kidnapping, recovering four firearms and rescuing an abducted man in separate operations.
The police corporal, identified as Olayinka Oluwatobi, was among five persons arrested during a raid on a suspected hideout of the Aiye Confraternity on November 8.
According to the Force Public Relations Officer, Ani Iniedu, the operation was carried out by operatives of the Command Monitoring Unit.
Iniedu disclosed in a statement on Thursday that Corporal Oluwatobi was attached to MOPOL 72 in Ago-Are but deployed to Sports Eleyele, Ibadan.
Other suspects arrested during the raid were Ayandiran Samuel, allegedly the group’s weapons handler, and Adeyinka Qudus, said to be its leader.
The police recovered an English-made Beretta pistol and three locally fabricated firearms during the operation.
The arrested suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Ibadan, for further investigation.
In a separate operation, the police, working with the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, rescued a 30-year-old kidnap victim, Abubakar Amidu, from Oteon/Odi Owo Forest on November 8.
Amidu was reportedly abducted by gunmen on October 31, while four suspects were arrested in connection with the incident.
They were identified as Abdullahi Bello, Mohammed Kontagora, Alhaji Ali and Usman Alhaji Ali.
The police spokesman said the victim was rescued alive without injuries, while his mobile phone and a chain and padlock allegedly used to restrain him were recovered.
Iniedu added that investigations were ongoing into both incidents, while the command was making efforts to arrest other suspects believed to have participated in the crimes.