Oyo Demolishes Residential Compound Used as Arms Hideout

June 16, () — The Oyo State Government has demolished a residential property in Ibadan allegedly used as a hideout for storing a large cache of arms and ammunition, in what authorities described as a major step in the state’s intensifying crackdown on criminal activities and kidnapping.

The demolished property, located at the Gbenku area on Arubiewe Road along Olodo Garage in Ibadan, consisted of a storey building and two bungalows within a fenced compound.

Security agencies reportedly uncovered the illegal stockpile of weapons during an ongoing investigation into criminal activities within the area.

Leading government officials to the demolition site, the Commissioner for Public Works and Transport, Mojeed Mogbonjubola, said preliminary investigations by security agencies revealed that the property had been converted into a storage point for arms and ammunition believed to be connected to criminal operations.

According to Mogbonjubola, the demolition was carried out on the directive of Governor Seyi Makinde as part of the administration’s sustained efforts to combat insecurity and dismantle criminal networks operating across the state.

He said the government remains committed to ensuring that criminal elements do not use any part of the state as a base for illegal operations capable of threatening the safety of residents.

The commissioner noted that the discovery of the arms cache underscored the growing need for aggressive security measures, particularly as authorities continue efforts to curb incidents of kidnapping, armed violence, and other organised crimes.

Mogbonjubola stressed that the demolition sends a strong warning to individuals involved in illegal possession of weapons and other criminal activities, insisting that the state government would continue taking decisive action against violators.

He added that Governor Makinde’s administration had adopted a zero-tolerance approach toward insecurity and would sustain operations aimed at identifying and dismantling criminal hideouts wherever they are discovered.

Calling for public cooperation, the commissioner urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities in their communities to security agencies.

He also advised landlords and property agents to carry out proper background checks on prospective tenants before leasing properties, warning that failure to properly screen occupants could enable criminal groups to establish operational bases within residential communities.

According to him, property owners have a responsibility to monitor activities taking place within their premises, especially at a time when authorities are intensifying efforts to curb security threats across the state.

The state government reiterated that protecting lives and property remains a top priority and vowed to sustain aggressive actions against individuals or groups threatening peace and security in communities across Oyo State.