The suspected robbers according to Punch were arrested the Ikire High Court, off the expressway after they had allegedly robbed some residents.

The state Coordinator of the OPC, Adedeji Aladesawe, while narrating how the four man gang was arrested said an OPC member in Ikire, Akinlade Oke led the operation that led to the arrest of three members of the gang and a cleric, who allegedly provides spiritual support for the suspected robbers.

One of the suspects according to Aladesewa was arrested while trying to escape from a robbery scene. The arrested suspect later led OPC members to their hideout.

Oke, the OPC member who effected the arrest of the first suspect while explaining how he knew about the gang said he received a distress call from one Toyin Ilori, around 2am on Monday, June 24, 2019.

He said, “I received a call from a neighbour, whose house was attacked. Our area is situated at the back of the Ikire High Court. Before those robbers got to her house, they had attacked two other houses. They were armed with guns, cutlasses and charms. I pleaded with one of my elder brothers, who was at home, to join me. We immediately proceeded to the scene.

“Two members of the gang had gained entrance into Ilori’s house, while one of them was outside monitoring the area. Immediately the one outside saw us approaching, he alerted the others and they took to their heels.

“We chased after them and I was able to apprehend one of them. We both fell into a ditch but I held on to him. I tied him up and interrogated him. He told me where the other members were hiding. At that point, some members of the vigilante group in Ikire had arrived and they joined me. Together, we went to the house where the other gang members were hiding.

“Two of them hid in the ceiling but their spiritualist could not run, because one of his leg is bad. We arrested all of them and handed them over to the police. They were moved to the Criminal Investigation Department in Osogbo on Tuesday.”

During the South West Regional Security Summit held in Ibadan on Tuesday, June 25, 2019, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone XI, Mr Leye Oyebade confirmed the arrest of the suspects.