The Oyo State Police Command has arrested four suspected members of a theft syndicate and recovered telecommunications power equipment worth about 8 million during an operation along the Oyo-Ogbomoso Motorway.
The suspects, who were arrested on June 20, 2026, are Jimoh Mufutau, 35, from Mowe-Ibafo, Ogun State; Saheed Akanbi, 34, from Onipanu, Lagos State; Lateef Ibrahim, 37, from Igando, Lagos State; and Lukman Jimoh, 38, from Isheri/Berger, Lagos State.
The suspects were arrested by operatives of the Command Monitoring Unit during a routine stop-and-search exercise at the Irepo area of the Oyo-Ogbomoso Motorway, the police said.
Initial investigations revealed that the suspects were found in possession of four hybrid solar batteries said to have been stolen from a telecommunications facility in Offa, Kwara State.
The suspects were caught by the police in an ash-coloured Toyota Sienna vehicle with registration number EPE 992 KH conveying the batteries estimated to be worth about ₦8 million.
In questioning, “the suspects admitted that the equipment had been stolen from the telecom facility before they attempted to move it to an undisclosed location,” investigators said.
The seized batteries and the vehicle used in the operation have been retained in police custody as exhibits.
Police said they are continuing their investigation to determine the extent of the suspects’ activities and to identify other members of the alleged criminal network.
On the development, the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, commended the officers involved in the operation for their vigilance and professionalism.
He reassured the command’s commitment towards the protection of critical national infrastructure and to ensure that criminal elements do not find refuge in the state.
The Commissioner also urged residents to remain security-conscious and continue to volunteer useful information to law enforcement agencies, adding that community cooperation is still very key in the fight against crime.
He assured that the Oyo State Police Command would continue to intensify efforts to protect lives and property and critical national assets and ensure that the offenders are brought to justice.
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