The Oyo State Police Command on Wednesday paraded 18 suspects in connection with alleged armed robbery, impersonation, possession of human skull and hijacking a tanker loaded with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

Briefing journalists on Wednesday at the Command’s Headquarters at Eleyele, Ibadan, the Commissioner of Police, Shina Olukolu, said the police also recovered 19 firearms, 24 tricycles, one human skull and a vehicle from the suspects.

The commissioner said that the command mopped up 162 ammunition and 131 cartridges in the state.

He said that the command had not lost sight of its constitutional role of protecting lives and property in spite of the ongoing general elections.

“No society is free of crime and we will continue to deal with the situation as they arise and arrest those involved in crime.

“As we continue to ensure there is peaceful conduct of elections, we will not forget our constitutional role of protecting lives and property.

“We warn those committing crime to desist from such act and remember that crime does not pay,’’ Mr Olukolu said.

According to the commissioner, the police is always ready to give the best and go after criminals as long as the public cooperate with it.

He promised to ensure a peaceful and violence-free Governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state.

NAN reports that among the suspects paraded by the police was a notorious gang which specialised in hijacking truck conveying petroleum products.

The commissioner said that the command was tipped that the gang was sighted on the Ibadan/Lagos Expressway hijacking a tanker loaded with 33,000 litres of petrol (PMS) to their Soka area hideout in Ibadan on March 2 at about 7: 00 a.m.

“Sequel to this information, a team of operatives swung into action and in the process one member of the criminal gang was arrested.

“He confessed that one other member of the gang nicknamed “Action’’ who is still at large brought the product to him.

“The hijacked PMS had been siphoned into 16 drums and 12 kegs while the truck had been taken to an unknown destination,’’ Olukolu said.

He said that the products recovered from the hideout of the suspects had been transferred to Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) office at Dugbe, saying that all the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigation was concluded. (NAN)