By Society Assistant Editor
Ninolowo Gbamboye
The Ondo State Police Command has dismantled a major gunrunning network accused of supplying arms to criminal gangs operating across Ondo, Osun, Kogi, Edo, and Kwara States.
The breakthrough came after detectives arrested a notorious local arms fabricator believed to be the syndicate’s kingpin. Three accomplices, long on the police wanted list, were also taken into custody.
Police spokesperson DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, confirming the arrests on Thursday, described the development as a “game-changing stride” in curbing violent crimes in the region. He explained that the syndicate’s weapons had fueled cross-border robberies, assaults, and other armed attacks.
The case gained momentum after a recent armed robbery in Irele town, where a woman was shot in the leg and robbed of her motorcycle, ₦250,000, and other valuables. Swift follow-up operations led officers to Irele and Ore, where key members of the gang — including the suspected gun supplier — were captured.
So far, four suspects have been charged with armed robbery and attempted murder, while police continue to track down fleeing members of the ring. Authorities confirmed that the gunrunner’s arrest is expected to significantly disrupt the flow of illegal firearms across the five affected states.
Reassuring residents, DSP Ayanlade reaffirmed the command’s determination to rid the state of dangerous elements, urging the public to continue sharing credible intelligence. He stressed that all information provided to security agencies would be handled with the strictest confidentiality.
The police noted that the operation not only neutralized a weapons pipeline but also delivered a strong signal to criminal groups that the days of unchecked gunrunning in the region are numbered.
