The Oyo State Joint Security Task Force, popularly known as ‘Operation Burst’, has arrested the second in command to the late Abiola Ebila, the leader of the notorious One Million Boys in Ibadan.
The Director General of the state security outfit,Col. Oladipo Ajibola (Rtd.) disclosed this on Sunday in a statement, issued by through the state Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Wasiu Olatunbosu and made available to newsmen.
Ebila was recently killed by the men of Operation Burst at Ibadan, when he was reported to be involved in a kidnap ring and security personnel rounded him up at his hideout.
Ajibola said that the second in command, popularly known as ‘Eji’ had assumed leadership of the gang before being arrested for sundry criminal offenses and handed over to the police for trial.
The DG said the security outfit had rid Ibadan of the menace of the notorious gang as the rest of them ran out of the state to seek cover in Lagos and other states.
“Operation Burst has been able to reduce criminality in Oyo state, people now go about doing their businesses without fear. we have effected a lot of arrests in relation to cultism, yahoo boys and other criminals and handed them over to the right security agency concerned, the high profile among the criminal cases was Abiola Ebila.
“Abiola Ebila, the leader of one million boys was involved in kidnapping and we got him through one of the personalities he kidnapped while he was asking for ransom.
“The elimination of Ebila has sent other gang leaders out of Oyo state and we are still trailing those who are their minions.
“We have succeeded in getting one of them recently, who was the second in command to the late Ebila, we handed him over to another security agency for proper investigation and prosecution and we urge the general public to avail the security agencies prompt information to nip criminality in the bud,” he said.
Ajibola said that Operation Burst’s activities had been extended to hot spots in Ibadan, among which were Foko,Odo Oba,Olomi Olodo, Oke-Ogun zone and Oyo state in general, adding that the outfit’s Call Center for distress calls would soon be commissioned.
He explained that the mode of operation of Operation Burst was to only swing into action in cases that other security agencies required strong back up force, citing the arrest of drug traffickers, kidnappers, armed robbers, cultists and others and handing the culprits over to the agency saddled by law to prosecute each crime.
The director general of Operation Burst appreciated Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo state for doing his best through provision of the needed mobility, accessories and other supports.
He urged parents to watch over their children and counsel them on morality as they resumed school on Monday
