The Ekiti State Police Command has foiled a robbery operation along the Ikole–Oye Road, arresting two suspected armed robbers, rescuing two abducted victims, and recovering stolen truck tyres in a swift intelligence-led operation.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday, June 29, when three armed men reportedly attacked a broken-down petrol tanker parked along the Ikole–Oye Road. According to the police, the assailants robbed the driver and his motor boy of their mobile phones before abducting them into a nearby bush, where they were tied to a tree.

The suspects then returned to the tanker, removed six truck tyres and loaded them into an ash-coloured Ford minibus, intending to flee towards Kogi State.

Police spokesperson, SP Sunday Abutu, said operatives of the Safer Highway Patrol acted on credible intelligence and intercepted the vehicle before the suspects could escape. The officers recovered all six stolen tyres and arrested two suspects identified as Ezekiel Balogun and Usman Wada, both from Kabba in Kogi State. A third suspect escaped and remains at large.

According to the command, the arrested suspects subsequently led police operatives to the bush where the abducted driver and his assistant were rescued unharmed.

The case has been transferred to the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) for further investigation, while efforts have been intensified to track down the fleeing suspect and bring all those involved to justice.

Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Michael Adegoroye Falade, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across the state. He also urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to support ongoing efforts to combat crime and criminality.