Oyo Police Bust Syndicate, Recover ₦200 Million in Stolen Railway Tracks

The Oyo State Police Command has intercepted a massive shipment of stolen railway tracks valued at approximately ₦200 million, arresting three suspected members of an organized vandalism syndicate.

Acting on a timely tip-off from a vigilant citizen, operatives of the Command Monitoring Unit intercepted the suspects in the Gambari, Orile-Igbon area of Oyo State. During the operation, police impounded a HOWO truck (registration number CAL 972 XA) loaded with the vandalized railway materials.

The police identified the suspects as Waheed Ayinde (54), Muhammed Sani (27), and Hassan Ibrahim (22).

According to Oyo State Police Spokesperson, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, preliminary investigations revealed that the tracks were illegally dismantled in Niger State. The syndicate smuggled them into Oyo State, using a clandestine warehouse in Ogbomoso for temporary storage, with the ultimate plan to sell and deliver them to buyers in Lagos.

Investigators disclosed that the suspects played distinct roles within the network: one served as the contracted interstate driver, another coordinated the logistics, and the third acted as the “temporary receiver” managing the Ogbomoso storage site.

The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, commended the resident who provided the crucial tip, calling it a prime example of community-led policing. He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting critical national infrastructure, warning that Oyo State will not become a safe haven for economic saboteurs.

The suspects are currently cooperating with police investigators as efforts continue to track down other members of the syndicate, including potential scrap metal buyers. They will be charged in court upon completion of the investigation.