Oyo police arrest suspected drug dealer in Ibadan

The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a 28-year-old suspected drug dealer, identified as Rilwan, in the Apata area of Ibadan as part of its intensified intelligence-led operations against illicit drugs and other activities fuelling crime in the state.

The suspect, a resident of Apata, was arrested at about 8 a.m. on Saturday following intelligence received by the command concerning his alleged involvement in the illicit drug trade.

In a statement made available to journalists on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said the arrest followed a targeted surveillance operation conducted by operatives attached to the Iyaganku Area Command.

According to the statement, “Acting on the intelligence, surveillance operatives of the Iyaganku Area Command commenced targeted surveillance operations which culminated in the arrest of the suspect.”

The police said quantities of dry leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, a white crystalline substance suspected to be methamphetamine and other suspected illicit drugs were recovered from the suspect during the operation.

The command said the suspect remained in police custody and was cooperating with investigators as preliminary investigations continued to determine the source of the suspected drugs and establish the extent of his alleged involvement in the trade.

It added that the investigation was also aimed at identifying other individuals who might be connected to the alleged criminal activities.

The Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, reaffirmed the command’s determination to sustain its operations against drug trafficking and other forms of criminality across the state.

Olugbenga described illicit drugs as “a significant catalyst for various forms of crime and criminality,” stressing that the command would continue to target the supply chains through which such substances reach criminal elements and vulnerable members of society.

“The Command will continue to work assiduously to identify and disrupt the supply chains of catalytic elements of crime, particularly illicit drugs, while strengthening intelligence-led policing and proactive operations across the state,” he said.

The commissioner assured residents that the police would sustain intelligence-driven operations aimed at preventing crime, dismantling criminal networks and ensuring that those involved in activities capable of undermining public safety were brought to justice.

He said the suspect would be charged to court after the conclusion of preliminary investigations, subject to the outcome of the inquiry.

The command urged members of the public to remain vigilant and provide credible and actionable information that could assist security agencies in detecting and disrupting criminal activities across Oyo State.

It said such cooperation remained vital to its efforts to strengthen intelligence-led policing and combat crime in the state.