Jobele Fury: Police Release Sparks Highway Chaos

Tension erupted in Jobele community, Afijio Local Government Area of Oyo State, as residents, students, elders, youths, and women staged a massive protest on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, paralyzing the Ibadan-Oyo-Ogbomoso highway. The demonstrators blocked both the old and new Ibadan-Oyo roads, causing hours-long gridlock and halting human and vehicular traffic, in outrage over the alleged overnight release of a suspected bandit they had apprehended and handed to police just 24 hours earlier.

Bandit Attack Triggers Vigil

The crisis stemmed from a violent bandit incursion on Saturday midnight in Jobele, where assailants attempted to kidnap a woman but failed after she scaled a fence to escape, sustaining a deep machete cut on her hand. A man was seriously wounded in the botched operation and rushed to a general hospital before referral to Ogbomoso, where reports indicate one of his hands was amputated due to severe injuries. This marked at least the seventh kidnapping-related incident in the area recently, with the bandit group terrorizing Afijio communities for months.

Vigilantes Apprehend Suspect

Fearing for their lives amid police inaction, Jobele residents organized vigil security patrols, taking turns through Sunday night into early Monday, March 9. Around 1 a.m., they caught a suspicious man sneaking through bushes armed with a gun, cutlass, machete, and other weapons. Acting as law-abiding citizens, they detained him and handed him over to Jobele Police Division by morning for investigation and prosecution.

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Shock Release Ignites Protest

By Tuesday morning, rumors spread that the suspect was no longer in custody, prompting the community to storm the station demanding answers. Police allegedly admitted releasing him, claiming he was “innocent,” without consulting the apprehenders or providing evidence, fueling cries of “police are not our friends.” Protesters blocked roads, camped at the station, and decried worsening insecurity, vowing not to leave until safety was guaranteed.

Police Response and Calm Returns

Oyo State Police Commissioner Femi Haruna ordered a probe into the “unprofessional conduct” at Jobele Division. An inspector was detained, the DPO and ASP queried, with investigations ongoing per police rules. DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, Police PRO, confirmed normalcy restored by security agents, as the commissioner assured the community of justice. Legacy media framed it broadly as an “insecurity protest,” downplaying the specific bandit release trigger.