Police in Ekiti State have arrested 15 polytechnic students for armed robbery.

The students were said to have carried out some operations on December 14 using a white bus with number plate SUG 002 Thunder Attack.

According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Victor Babayemi, the suspects said to be students of a polytechnic in Kwara State, invaded two filling stations in Otun-Ekiti in Moba Local Government Area and dispossessed the attendants of the sales proceeds for that day.

The suspects, it added, destroyed fuel dispensers at the filling stations.

Babayemi said a pistol and a single barrel gun were recovered from the gang.

The PPRO explained that following a tip off, policemen arrested the suspects at Omuo-Ekiti, a border town between Ekiti, and Kogi states.

The statement read in part, "The police were alerted to the operations of a 15-man robbery gang that invaded two filling stations at Otun-Ekiti, with a white unregistered bus, but marked 'SUG 002 Thunder Attack' The gang, which was found to be made up of students of a polytechnic in Kwara State, beat up the attendants of the filling stations, destroyed their dispensing pumps and dispossessed them of their sales proceeds while brandising dangerous weapons.

"On receiving the information, police patrol teams were dispatched to seal off the exit routes in the state. And, before long, the gang was intercepted at Omuo-Ekiti, the boundary town between Ekiti and Kogi states and the occupants were arrested."

The suspects are Mustapha AbdulQuadri, (24); Yusuf Rahman (27); Suleiman Abdul Rasak (30); Akorede Adewole (25); Ayandara Phillip (21); Lukman Amunulahi (24); Ajiboye Olamilekan (21); Abdulganiyu Suleiman, (22); and Alabi Oluwatoyosi, (24).

Others are Adebayo Michael (32); Alabi Olumide (25); Fatai Kabir (27); Ajibare Moshood (20); Aliyu Usman (27); and Olanipekun Abimbola (24).

Babayemi said the police recovered identity cards of some of them, adding that they confessed that they were students of a polytechnic.

He added, "We recovered the identity cards which showed that they are students of the school. We have written to the school about our findings and we are expecting their response."