The Oyo State Police Command has apprehended three individuals believed to be members of a railway vandalism syndicate and recovered stolen rail tracks estimated to be worth N200 million in Surulere Local Government Area of the state.
Arrests and Recovery
In a statement released on Tuesday, July 14, the Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, confirmed that the arrests were made possible by a timely tip-off from a vigilant member of the public. Operatives of the Command Monitoring Unit quickly responded to the intelligence and intercepted the suspects around 1:45 p.m. in the Gambari, Orile-Igbon area of Oyo State.
The suspects were identified as Waheed Ayinde, 54; Muhammed Sani, 27; and Hassan Ibrahim, 22. During the operation, police recovered vandalised rail tracks valued at approximately N200 million and a HOWO truck with registration number CAL 972 XA (Cross River), which was allegedly used to transport the stolen items.
Preliminary Investigations
Preliminary investigations revealed that the railway tracks had been illegally removed from Niger State and transported into Oyo State as part of a coordinated criminal operation. Lagos was identified as the intended final destination for the stolen materials.
Ayanlade stated, “The Oyo State Police Command has recorded another significant operational success in its sustained campaign against economic sabotage and the vandalisation of critical national infrastructure with the arrest of three suspected members of a railway vandalism syndicate and the recovery of stolen rail tracks valued at approximately N200,000,000.00.”
Roles of Suspects
Further findings established that the arrested suspects played distinct roles in the syndicate. They included the contracted driver responsible for conveying the stolen railway tracks to Lagos, a co-conspirator involved in coordinating the operation, and a temporary receiver who provided a storage location in Ogbomoso pending the clandestine movement of the stolen materials to their final destination.
The PPRO noted that the suspects have made useful confessional statements and are cooperating with investigators. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of the syndicate still at large, recover additional exhibits, and conclude investigations for prosecution.
Commendation and Appeal
The Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, commended the vigilant member of the public whose timely information led to the success of the operation. He described the feat as a demonstration of the effectiveness of intelligence-led policing and community partnership.
The CP urged residents to continue supporting the police and other security agencies with credible and timely information, assuring them that every actionable intelligence would receive a prompt operational response. “The Commissioner further reaffirmed the Command’s unwavering commitment to protecting critical national infrastructure and emphasised that the Oyo State Police Command will not allow the state to become a breeding ground or safe haven for criminals and other perpetrators of economic sabotage,” the statement added.
