POLICE ARREST FATHER AND TEENAGE SON OVER ILLEGAL FIREARM POSSESSION IN OGUN

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By: Muftau Fatimo

The Ogun State Police Command has detained a 38-year-old man, Kehinde Joseph, along with his 13-year-old son, John Joseph, for allegedly being in possession of a locally fabricated pistol, a live cartridge, and a mask.

The pair were arrested on Sunday along the Sagamu/Ogijo Road during a stop-and-search exercise carried out by the command’s Quick Response Squad.

The command’s spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, confirmed the development in a statement released on Monday.

He explained that officers intercepted a tricycle carrying the teenage suspect around the Lafarge area on the Sagamu/Ogijo Road axis at about 11 a.m.

Babaseyi said a search carried out on the boy led to the recovery of a locally made pistol, a live cartridge and a mask.

He said, “Operatives of the Quick Response Squad, Ogun State Police Command, arrested two suspects, a father and his teenage son, for unlawful possession of a firearm.

“The suspects, identified as Joseph Kehinde, aged 38, and John Joseph, aged 13, were apprehended along the Sagamu/Ogijo Road axis.

“On Sunday, April 5, 2026, at about 1100hrs, the operatives, while on stop-and-search duty at the Lafarge area along Sagamu/Ogijo Road, intercepted a tricycle conveying the younger suspect.

“A search conducted on him led to the recovery of one locally made pistol, one live cartridge and a mask, the ownership of which he could not satisfactorily explain. The suspect, however, claimed that the firearm belonged to his father.”

Following the disclosure, the police said operatives intensified efforts and subsequently arrested the father.

Both suspects, along with the recovered items, have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.

The statement added that the suspects would be charged in court after the completion of investigations.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Bode Ojajuni, commended the vigilance and professionalism of the operatives involved in the operation.

He reiterated the command’s zero-tolerance stance on illegal possession of firearms and other criminal activities, assuring residents of sustained efforts to ensure safety and security across the state.

Ojajuni also called on the public to share prompt and reliable information with the police and to report any suspicious activities through the command’s emergency lines.

It will be recalled that the media earlier reported that a 20-year-old woman, simply identified as Blessing, was struck dead by a stray bullet in Amassoma, Bayelsa State.

The incident happened on Thursday when suspected cultists allegedly tried to attack a young man at a laundry shop in the community.