The Oyo State Police Command has arrested three suspected members of a railway vandalism syndicate and recovered stolen rail tracks valued at about ₦200 million in a major operation against economic sabotage and the destruction of critical national infrastructure.

 

The command said the suspects were apprehended following credible intelligence provided by a member of the public, which led operatives of the Command Monitoring Unit to Gambari, Orile-Igbon area of Oyo State, where they intercepted the suspects before the stolen materials could be moved to their final destination.

 

The suspects were identified as Waheed Ayinde, 54; Muhammed Sani, 27; and Hassan Ibrahim, 22.

 

Recovered during the operation were vandalised railway tracks estimated to be worth ₦200 million and a HOWO truck with registration number CAL 972 XA (Cross River State), allegedly used to transport the stolen materials.

 

According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, the operation was carried out on July 14 at about 1:45 p.m. following actionable intelligence.

 

Ayanlade disclosed that preliminary investigations revealed that the railway tracks were unlawfully removed from Niger State and transported into Oyo State as part of a coordinated criminal operation, with Lagos identified as the intended destination.

 

The PPRO said investigations also established that the suspects played different roles in the syndicate, including conveying the stolen rail tracks to Lagos, coordinating the operation and providing temporary storage for the vandalised materials in Ogbomoso before their onward movement.

 

“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 diligent prosecution,” he said.

 

Reacting to the breakthrough, the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Abimbola Olugbenga, lauded the vigilance of the member of the public whose timely information led to the successful operation.

 

He described the arrest as a demonstration of the effectiveness of intelligence-led policing and collaboration between the police and members of the public.

 

The police commissioner urged residents to continue supporting security agencies with credible and timely information, assuring them that all actionable intelligence would receive prompt attention.

 

Olugbenga reiterated the command’s commitment to protecting critical national infrastructure and combating economic sabotage, stressing that Oyo State would not be allowed to serve as a safe haven for criminal elements involved in vandalism and other related offences.

 

He added that the command would sustain its crackdown on criminal networks threatening public assets and national economic interests through intelligence-driven operations and strategic partnerships with communities.