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The Osun State Police Command has arrested three men after operatives discovered bags of weeds suspected to be Indian hemp in a vehicle that reportedly broke down along the Moro-Ife Road.
The suspects were allegedly transporting the substance to Ogbomoso in Oyo State when the vehicle developed a fault along the Ife Road in Moro and was abandoned by the roadside.
The command’s spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, disclosed this in a statement obtained in Osogbo on Friday.
Ojelabi said operatives of the Violence Crime Response Unit, Team E, encountered the abandoned Toyota Sienna Space Bus during a patrol on August 30 and became suspicious of the circumstances.
According to the police, the driver, 38-year-old Awo Omotayo, later returned to the vehicle with a Nissan Cabstar to tow it. He was accompanied by 22-year-old Abayomi Suleiman, who was driving the towing vehicle, and Oluwatayo Samuel.
The operatives searched the Sienna and found several bags containing weeds suspected to be Indian hemp, leading to the arrest of the three men.
Police said the vehicles and the suspected illicit substance were subsequently recovered and taken to the command for further investigation.
“On 30th August 2026, at about 1330hrs, a team of Police operatives from the Violence Crime Response Unit (VCRU) Team E while on routine patrol along the Moro–Ife Road, came across a silver-coloured Toyota Sienna Space Bus with registration number BGT 81 OLG which had broken down and was abandoned by the roadside.
“The operatives noticing that something is not right which prompted them to snoop around and subsequently, one Awo Omotayo ‘m’, aged 38 years, who identified himself as the driver of the faulty vehicle, arrived at the scene with a red-coloured Nissan Cabstar vehicle with registration number EPE 299 YJ, driven by Abayomi Suleiman ‘m’, aged 22 years accompany by one Oluwatayo Samuel ‘m’, for the purpose of towing the Sienna vehicle.
“A search was conducted by operatives on the said Sienna Space Bus, during which some bags of weeds suspected to be Indian hemp were discovered inside the vehicle. The suspects were immediately arrested, while the exhibits and the three vehicles were recovered and taken to the Command for discreet investigation.” the statement read.
During questioning, Omotayo reportedly told investigators that a man known as Baba Ibo, who operates around Garage Olode in Osun State, had engaged him to deliver the substance to Ogbomoso.
He said Baba Ibo also had the contact details of the person expected to receive the consignment in Ogbomoso.
The Commissioner of Police in Osun State, Ibrahim Zungura, has ordered a thorough investigation to establish where the suspected illicit substance came from and identify its intended recipient.
The command said it was also working to arrest Baba Ibo and other suspects linked to the case.
It urged residents to remain vigilant and provide credible information to the police to help prevent the trafficking of prohibited substances and apprehend suspects who may be at large.
