Oyo Police Foil Bandit Attack on Elebe Village, Neutralise Two Suspects

The Oyo State Police Command has thwarted a planned bandit attack on Elebe Village in Aleniboro, near Irawo Mine, neutralizing two suspected bandits during a gun duel.

According to a press release issued on Monday by the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, the operation was carried out following credible information from a concerned resident. The resident alerted security operatives to the presence of about 10 armed Fulani men hiding in a farm settlement within Elebe Village.

Olayinka stated that the suspects were reportedly armed with two AK-47 rifles, single-barrel guns, and locally made cut-to-size pistols, and were allegedly planning to launch an attack on the community under the cover of darkness.

The police spokesperson said the Divisional Police Officer of Tede Division promptly relayed the intelligence through the chain of command to the Commissioner of Police, Femi Haruna, who immediately ordered the deployment of additional operational assets to the area.

Police operatives, working in collaboration with members of the Agbekoya local hunters in Aleniboro, mobilized to the identified hideout. On sighting the advancing security team, the suspects reportedly opened fire, leading to an exchange of gunfire.

“In the course of the gun duel, two of the bandits were neutralised, while others escaped with suspected bullet wounds,” the statement read.

Olayinka said a reinforcement patrol team subsequently combed the surrounding bush and recovered one cut-to-size locally made pistol, one empty cartridge, two live cartridges, and two expended 7.62mm AK-47 ammunition shells allegedly fired by the hoodlums. Officers also seized quantities of weeds suspected to be marijuana, two Tecno button phones, and a bottle containing a substance believed to be a mixed drink.

The police spokesperson said the area has since been secured, while intensive bush combing and surveillance operations are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects and eliminate any residual threat to Elebe Village and adjoining communities.

The Commissioner of Police expressed appreciation to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, for continuous strategic support and provision of operational logistics that have enhanced the Command’s capacity to respond decisively to security threats.

The police further appealed to residents to sustain cooperation with security agencies by providing timely and credible information, emphasizing that community support remains critical in the fight against criminality.

The Command advised residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to the nearest security formation.