Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested two suspected cattle rustlers and recovered a stolen cow valued at N1.7 million, a knife and a vehicle allegedly used for the operation in Ifo area of the state.
The suspects, identified as Muhammed Monsur and Olaseinde Olatunji, were apprehended by operatives of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit following a distress call from a farmer in the Ifo/Ibogun axis in the early hours of Thursday.
Police said the suspects were arrested at about 2:30 a.m. after they allegedly invaded a dairy farm at Omitoro Village via Coker, Ifo/Ibogun, and rustled a cow.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Command, DSP Oluseyi Babasẹyi, the suspects were intercepted while attempting to flee the scene in a mini bus, popularly known as “Korope,” after their suspicious movement raised alarm.
Babasẹyi said the SWAT operatives responded swiftly to the distress call, mobilised to the scene and intercepted the suspects before they could escape.
“The prompt intervention led to the arrest of the two suspects. Recovered exhibits include one stolen cow, one knife and the operational mini bus used in perpetrating the crime,” he said.
He disclosed that preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects were members of a four-man gang, adding that two other accomplices escaped into the surrounding bush during the operation.
The police spokesman said the operational vehicle had been recovered and secured at the Ibogun SWAT office, while the stolen cow was recovered, documented for evidential purposes and released to its owner after necessary attention.
He added that the suspects were currently in police custody, while efforts were ongoing to track down and arrest the fleeing members of the gang.
“The case will be transferred to the appropriate investigative unit for further discreet investigation and prosecution,” Babasẹyi stated.
Commending the swift response of the operatives, the Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, CP Bode Ojajuni, reaffirmed the command’s resolve to rid the state of criminal elements.
Ojajuni also urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to security agencies through the command’s emergency lines.
He assured members of the public that the command would continue to intensify efforts to combat criminal activities and protect lives and property across the state.
