The Oyo State Government has intensified its crackdown on highway criminality and illegal trade as its Special Task Force raided a diesel black market operation along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, apprehending 16 suspects and seizing large quantities of fuel.
The raid, carried out near the Senator Rashidi Ladoja Circular Road axis close to the Guru Maharaj Ji village, led to the recovery of four drums of diesel and 17 kegs of varying capacities. The operation is part of an ongoing statewide campaign to dismantle shanties and eliminate illicit activities threatening public safety along major road corridors.
The Executive Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde on Security Matters and head of the Special Task Force, retired Commissioner of Police Sunday Odukoya, confirmed the arrests while briefing journalists at the Oyo State Road Transport Management Authority (OYRTMA) headquarters in Agodi, Ibadan.
According to Odukoya, the black market operators had been repeatedly warned to vacate the area and halt their illegal trade but chose to ignore multiple notices and deadlines.
“We work on clearing operations to ensure travelers move safely and without fear of criminal attacks,” Odukoya said. “There have been several reports of crimes along that route, and intelligence suggests that illegal traders may be linked to some of these acts.”
He stressed that the diesel being sold was suspected to be adulterated, posing a risk not only to motorists but also to companies unknowingly purchasing compromised fuel. He added that such operations have contributed to safety hazards, congestion, and the general deterioration of security on the expressway.
The suspects, comprising 15 men and one woman, will be prosecuted through the state’s Task Force Enforcement Mobile Court.
“We are determined to end criminality and illegality on our roads. Constant raids like this will continue, and we will not relent until we achieve our mandate,” Odukoya vowed.
One of the arrested individuals, Mustapha Bolaji, admitted to being in the black market diesel business for over six years. While acknowledging they had received informal warnings, he claimed they were not officially asked to vacate the area.
“We buy diesel from trailer drivers and resell. We don’t mix it. It’s just trade, and we’re only three in our shop. We never got a formal message asking us to leave,” Bolaji said during questioning.
However, state authorities have dismissed such claims, maintaining that sufficient warnings were issued and that no tolerance would be given for violations moving forward.
The raid underscores the Makinde administration’s broader effort to clean up Oyo State’s highways, reduce criminal activity, and enforce regulations against unsafe and unlawful practices in transportation corridors.
The government has urged residents to report suspicious activity and pledged continued efforts to ensure safer travel for all road users.
