By Adeola Badru
The Director-General of Oyo State Joint Security Task Force, popularly known as ‘Operation Burst’, Col. Oladipo Ajibola (rtd) has declared over the weekend in Ibadan that the second in command to the late Abiola Ebila, the leader of the notorious One Million boys in Ibadan has been arrested and currently facing trial.
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.
The second in command, popularly known as ‘Eji’ has assumed leadership of the gang before being arrested for sundry criminal offenses and handed over to the police for trial.
Col. Ajibola said the security outfit has rid Ibadan of the menace of the notorious gang as the rest of them have ran out of the State to seek cover in Lagos and other States.
READ ALSO: One Million Boys Saga: Hunters petitions CP over alleged inhumane treatment of members
“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 hand 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 Abiola 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 Operation Burst’s activities have been extended to hot spot 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.
READ ALSO: Leader of ‘One Million Boys’ shot dead in Ibadan
He explained that the mode of operation of Operation Burst was to only swing into action in cases that other security agencies require strong back up force, siting 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 the governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde for doing his best by providing the needed mobility, accessories and other support.
He called on parents to watch over their children and counsel them on morality as they resume back to school on Monday, saying that parents should be inquisitive and always have the trust of their wards so they could confide in them whenever they were involved in any danger or invited to join cultism.
