Oyo Police Arrest Three Suspected Rail Vandals, Recover ₦200 Million Worth of Stolen Tracks

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 during an intelligence-led operation in the Gambari area of Orile-Igbon.

The operation was carried out on Tuesday by operatives of the Command Monitoring Unit following credible intelligence provided by a vigilant resident, leading to what the police described as another major breakthrough in the fight against economic sabotage and the vandalisation of critical national infrastructure.

In a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, said the suspects were intercepted before the stolen railway materials could be transported to their final destination.

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

According to the police, officers recovered vandalised railway tracks estimated to be worth ₦200 million, alongside a HOWO truck with registration number CAL 972 XA, registered in Cross River State, which was allegedly used to transport the stolen materials.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the rail tracks had been illegally removed from Niger State and transported into Oyo State as part of a coordinated criminal operation. The stolen materials were reportedly being moved to Lagos before the police intercepted the suspects.

The command said investigations further revealed that the suspects played different roles in the operation, including driving the truck conveying the stolen rail tracks, coordinating the movement of the exhibits and providing temporary storage for the materials in Ogbomoso before their planned onward transportation.

Police said the suspects had made useful confessional statements and were cooperating with investigators.

The command added that efforts were ongoing to apprehend other members of the syndicate, recover additional exhibits and conclude investigations before charging the suspects to court.

Reacting to the successful operation, the Commissioner of Police, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, commended the resident whose timely information led to the arrests, describing the operation as another testament to the effectiveness of intelligence-led policing and community partnership.