Oyo State Police Command has arrested two suspected fraudsters, identified as 42-year-old Gbenga Olubade and 50-year-old Oluwaseun Adeoye, following their alleged involvement in a taxi-related theft incident in Ibadan.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, who disclosed this on Monday, said the arrest followed a distress call received on November 4, 2026, at about 9:30 a.m. from a concerned citizen, reporting a confrontation between a commercial taxi driver and a passenger at TCTC Junction, Idi Ope, along Eleyele Road, Ibadan.
According to him, acting swiftly on the information, detectives were immediately deployed to the scene, where the passenger, the driver and another occupant of the vehicle were taken to the station for interrogation.
During interrogation, the female passenger stated that on October 1, 2026, at about 9:50 a.m., she boarded a Micra taxi near Unity Hospital, Eleyele, heading towards Onireke, Ibadan.
However, under circumstances she could not explain, she subsequently found herself in the Oje area of the city, where she discovered that her iPhone 11 Pro, valued at ₦240,000, alongside cash of ₦2,500 and clothing worth ₦10,000, were missing, bringing the total value of the missing items to ₦252,500.
Interestingly, the complainant disclosed that the incident resurfaced on November 4, 2026, when she was on her way to work and attempting to board a commercial vehicle.
It was at this point that she sighted the same Micra taxi and recognised the two occupants she had encountered during the October 1 incident.
She immediately raised an alarm, attracting the attention of other road users who assisted in apprehending the occupants before they were handed over to the police.
Following their apprehension, Olayinka said the two suspects had their statements obtained, during which they confessed to the allegations.
He said the Command had since commenced further investigation to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident and determine whether the suspects have been involved in other similar criminal activities.
Against this backdrop, he said the Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga had reassured residents of the Command’s unwavering commitment to protecting lives and property.
He also urged members of the public to remain vigilant when boarding commercial vehicles, promptly report suspicious activities and provide credible information that could assist the police in identifying and dismantling criminal networks operating within the state.
