Police Parade Suspected Hoodlums, Recover Arms and Stolen Motorcycle in Osun State

The Osun State Police Command has paraded suspected hoodlums and criminals in a press briefing held on Tuesday, detailing recent successes recorded in the state.

Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Gotan,through his representative, Force P.R.O., DSP Abiodun Ojelabi addressed journalists at the command headquarters, showcasing exhibits and suspects arrested in connection with violent clashes, motorcycle robbery, and political thuggery.

In a dramatic turn of events, one of the arrested suspects, Adedeji Saheed Opeyemi, a 40-year-old Unit Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, has denied allegations of being a trigger-happy hoodlum, insisting that he was merely responding to a distress call when he was apprehended.

Opeyemi, who was arrested during a violent encounter at Oke-Ijetu Area, Osogbo, on July 20, 2026, claimed that he and his colleagues were acting on the instructions of their leader, Comrade Nurudeen Alowonle, who had advised them to remain calm and not engage in violence.

According to the police brief, the command received a distress call at about 5:30pm on the day of the protest that a group of hoodlums were shooting sporadically at Oke-Ijetu.

A team of Anti-Robbery and Violent Crime Response Unit personnel were deployed to the scene, but the hoodlums, suspected to be a faction of one Wakili Alowonle, opened fire on the police operatives, injuring three security personnel who are currently responding to treatment in the hospital.

The police, however, professionally arrested Opeyemi, who confessed that he was informed by one Sibi that they should meet at Oke-Ijetu.

In his account to journalists, Opeyemi painted a different picture, saying the gathering was a reaction to a violent takeover by the Asiri Eniba faction, despite the fact that the four-year tenure of the current leadership was not yet over.

“We are Unit Chairmen, and we gathered having received the information on the group platform.

Our leader, Comrade Nurudeen Alowonle, instructed on the group platform that we should all remain calm and not fight but be prepared in case the Eniba Faction came to attack us. He said we should wait till the Governor speaks on the matter,” Opeyemi stated.

He further explained that another union member known as Sibi from Ife handed him a gun to hold while Sibi wrapped Indian hemp to smoke, claiming he does not know how to shoot and that he returned the gun to Sibi.

“I don’t know when the matter turned violent, but the gathered members were riled up with the police sudden appearance. The police should have gone to the faction who took over violently when the current tenure was not yet over,” he added, affirming that he heard gunshots but could not confirm the claim that police sustained injuries.

The police recovered from Opeyemi six expended cartridges, four vehicles, four motorcycles, military camouflage, and criminal charms.

In a separate operation, the command arrested three suspects in connection with a motorcycle robbery that occurred on July 19, 2026.

A distress call was received from a complainant that his Bajaj motorcycle with Registration No. MEK 987 VU was snatched from his rider at Osunjela Area, Osogbo. Through intelligent analysis, the motorcycle was traced to Modakeke and recovered at about 9:30am.

The suspects arrested include Kamarudeen Babatunde, 39, Lekan Usman, 22, and their receiver, Moses Oyebade, 40, of Ondo town, Ondo State.

Furthermore, the police arrested two suspected political thugs, Alawode Ridwan, 26, and Ajibade Ahmed, 33, on July 16, 2026, following a distress call that they were causing mayhem around Amadia Area, Osogbo.

All suspects and recovered items are in custody, and the command stated that they will be charged to court after the completion of investigation.

The police admonished the public to give prompt and credible information and to be alert to happenings around them, reporting any suspicious movement to security agencies.