Oyo police say intercepted northerners farmers, traders

Oyo police say intercepted northerners farmers, traders

The Oyo State Police Command said it has handed over the 147 passengers intercepted by Amotekun in Ibadan on Tuesday to security operatives in Ogun State.

The state Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Williams, in a statement by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, said on Wednesday that the passengers who are aged between 12 and 30 years were profiled by police, Department of State Services; Nigeria Security and Civil Defence and Amotekun before the handover.

He said the passengers, who were travelling from Zamfara State to Ogun State in a truck, were found to be farmers and traders.

He added that items found on board the truck included motorcycles, bags of beans and onions.

The statement read in part, “At about 1500hrs on Tuesday August 2, a Blue Iveco truck with reg No. BWR 143XD, driven by one Abdulahi Aliu ‘m’ age 30 years and conveying about 147passengers comprising 140 male passengers between 12-30 years, four adult female passengers and three female children were intercepted along Iyana Bodija-Iso Pako, Ibadan by members of the public.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the truck and its passengers who are predominantly farmers and traders were heading to Ogere, Ogun State from Kaura Namuda, Zamfara State.

“Subsequent upon the above, the Blue truck was thoroughly searched and its passengers profiled by a combined team of the police, men of the Department of State Services and Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun to eliminate possibilities of ferrying escapees from any recorded jailbreaks within the country.

“The search revealed that the truck was conveying eight motorcycles and bags of beans and onions to be dropped off with their owners at Bodija Market.

“Upon the conclusion of the process, the truck and its passengers were escorted out of the state and have since been handed over and received by security operatives in Ogun State.”