The Oyo State Police Command has dismantled a suspected forgery syndicate in Ibadan, arresting 10 individuals believed to be involved in the production of fake official documents and certificates.
The arrests were made during a coordinated operation carried out by the Command Monitoring Unit at a hideout located in the Ogunpa area of the city. The operation followed sustained intelligence gathering and cooperation from members of the public.
Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ayanlade Olayinka, disclosed that the suspects were engaged in forging documents and official stamps belonging to government agencies, private organisations, and financial institutions.
“On April 9, actionable intelligence was received indicating that a group of individuals specialising in the forgery of official documents, stamps, and certificates of various government and private organisations was operating from a hideout within the Ogunpa area of Ibadan,” Olayinka said.
Following the intelligence report, operatives swiftly launched a raid on the location, leading to the arrest of the suspects. Those apprehended were identified as Mumini Akanbi (62), Quadri Muhammed (31), Salami Tajudeen (50), Oladipupo Hammed (45), Oladipupo Taiwo (40), Olorun Sebi Kazem (42), Fatai Akanni (54), Alamu Kazeem (60), Olalekan Afeez (42), and Alex Olanrewaju (64).
During the operation, search warrants were executed at their operational bases, resulting in the recovery of numerous incriminating items. These included a fake Police Character Certificate, stamps from the Nigeria Police Force Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Ogun State CID Eleweran office, Iyaganku Area Command, and various Divisional Police Officer offices.
Investigators also recovered forged stamps belonging to Oyo State government ministries and departments, as well as those of banks and private organisations.
According to the police, preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects were part of a well-organised network involved in producing and using forged documents for impersonation and other criminal activities.
“All suspects have confessed to their involvement in the criminal enterprise and are currently providing useful information to aid ongoing investigations,” he said.
The police said investigations are ongoing, with further efforts being made to uncover other members of the syndicate and dismantle the wider network.
