Oyo Police Arrest 3 Suspects Over Alleged Murder, Armed Robbery In Ibadan

By Victoria Isaac 

The Oyo State Police Command has arrested three suspected members of an armed robbery gang allegedly responsible for a deadly attack in the Wofun Olodo area of Ibadan, where a 44-year-old woman, Mrs Wahab Rukayat, was killed.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, saying the suspects were arrested on October 2, 2026, following an intelligence-led investigation by operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU).

The suspects were identified as Akinrinola Oluwatobi, 28; Okunola Mathew, 24; and Ibrahim Rabiu, 23.

Olayinka said the arrest followed investigations into the robbery attack which occurred at about 2:30 a.m. on August 4, 2026, at the residence of one Alhaji Olatokunbo in the Wofun Olodo area of Ibadan.

He said the armed robbers attacked the residence, killing Olatokunbo’s wife, Rukayat, while other occupants sustained serious injuries.

The gang allegedly made away with several mobile phones, wristwatches, $400 and other valuables estimated at approximately ₦3.493 million during the attack.

Following the incident, the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, directed that the case be transferred to the VCRU for further investigation and the apprehension of those responsible.

Olayinka said the VCRU subsequently commenced intelligence gathering and deployed technology to develop leads that eventually took operatives to a suspected criminal hideout in Sabo area of Ibadan.

Acting on the information, operatives carried out an operation at about 9:00 p.m. on October 2, leading to the arrest of the three suspects.

Akinrinola, Mathew and Rabiu were also found with an iPhone 7 Plus allegedly belonging to one of the victims of the Wofun Olodo robbery.

The PPRO said an identification parade was conducted as part of the preliminary investigation, during which surviving victims identified the three suspects among other persons presented.

He added that the suspects allegedly confessed to their involvement in the robbery and disclosed the various roles they played during the operation.

Olayinka said the suspects admitted participating in the attack, carting away valuables estimated at approximately ₦3.493 million and killing Rukayat during the operation.

He further disclosed that the suspects allegedly confessed to participating in other robbery incidents around the Wofun Olodo and Akobo areas of Ibadan, providing additional leads for the ongoing investigation.

The Commissioner of Police has directed the VCRU and other relevant units to intensify efforts to apprehend other members of the gang who are still at large, as well as persons suspected of receiving or disposing of proceeds from their criminal activities.

The Command urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to the Police, stressing that such information remains critical to the prevention, detection and investigation of crime.

It also reaffirmed its commitment to deploying intelligence, technology, professional investigation and community partnership in tackling violent crime across Oyo State.