Operatives of the Osun State Security Network Agency, popularly known as the Amotekun Corps, have apprehended two suspected highway robbers during a tactical operation along the Ilesa–Ibadan Expressway. The suspects were intercepted on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at approximately 11:35 p.m. while allegedly attempting to ambush a commercial vehicle transporting goods from Ibadan.
According to an official statement released on Monday by the Amotekun spokesperson, Yusuf Idowu Abass, the arrested individuals have been identified as 29-year-old Chima Eze and 41-year-old Sunday Okorie. Although the suspects are natives of Ebonyi State, investigations revealed they were residing in the Mowe area of Ogun State prior to their criminal activities in the Osun corridor.
The breakthrough followed an encounter where a driver narrowly escaped an illegal roadblock set up by the gang. After evading the trap, the motorist alerted a nearby Amotekun patrol team on routine duty. Upon sighting the security personnel, members of the four-man syndicate reportedly abandoned a vehicle they had already ransacked and fled into the surrounding forest.
During a subsequent pursuit through the bush, the Amotekun team successfully apprehended Eze and Okorie, though two other accomplices managed to evade capture. Preliminary interrogations indicated that the gang had been active on major regional highways since early 2025. The suspects allegedly confessed that they transitioned to armed robbery after their street hawking businesses in Lagos failed to generate sufficient income.
"The driver managed to evade the ambush and alerted Amotekun operatives who were on routine patrol nearby. Upon receiving the information, the operatives immediately mobilised to the location," Abass stated in the official report. He further noted that the suspects admitted to carrying out multiple successful operations on the expressway before their luck ran out on Saturday night.
The Osun Amotekun Command confirmed that the suspects remain in custody and will be transferred to the Department of State Services, DSS, for formal prosecution.