Oyo State Police Intercept Suspected Telecom Vandals, Recover N8m Loot

…As Commissioner lauds operatives as investigation expands to uncover syndicate.

Oyo State Police Command has arrested four suspected telecommunications infrastructure vandals and recovered stolen solar power equipment valued at about eight million naira.

The suspects, identified as Jimoh Mufutau, Saheed Akanbi, Lateef Ibrahim and Lukman Jimoh, were apprehended by operatives of the Command Monitoring Unit during a routine stop-and-search operation at Irepo area along the Oyo-Ogbomoso Expressway.

This was revealed by the Oyo State Police Public Relations officer DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, who disclosed that the suspects were intercepted while transporting four hybrid solar batteries in an ash-coloured Toyota Sienna vehicle with registration number EPE 992 KH.

According to the command, the preliminary investigations revealed that the batteries were allegedly stolen from a telecommunications facility in Offa, Kwara State.

The police said the suspects confessed to the theft during interrogation and admitted they were moving the equipment to an undisclosed destination before their arrest.

The recovered batteries, estimated to be worth eight million naira, alongside the vehicle used for the operation, have been taken into police custody as exhibits.

Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, commended the vigilance and professionalism of the operatives, describing the arrest as a major step in safeguarding critical national infrastructure.

He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to combating crime and protecting public assets across the state, while urging residents to continue providing credible information to security agencies.

Further investigations are ongoing to uncover the full scope of the criminal operation and identify other members of the syndicate