Police Arrest Three Railway Vandals, Recover ₦200m Stolen Rail Tracks in Oyo

The Oyo State Police Command has arrested three suspected members of a railway vandalism syndicate and recovered stolen railway tracks valued at about ₦200 million during an operation in Surulere Local Government Area of the state.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Olayinka Ayanlade, the breakthrough followed credible intelligence from a vigilant resident. Acting on the tip off, operatives of the Command Monitoring Unit intercepted the suspects at Gambari, Orile Igbon, on Tuesday, July 14, before the stolen materials could be transported to Lagos.

The suspects, identified as Waheed Ayinde (54), Muhammed Sani (27), and Hassan Ibrahim (22), were arrested alongside a HOWO truck allegedly used to convey the vandalised rail tracks. Preliminary investigations revealed that the railway tracks were illegally removed from Niger State and transported into Oyo State as part of a coordinated criminal operation.

Police said the suspects played different roles in the syndicate, including transporting the stolen materials, coordinating the operation, and providing temporary storage. They have reportedly made useful confessional statements, while efforts are ongoing to arrest other fleeing members of the syndicate.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Abimbola, commended the member of the public whose timely information led to the successful operation. He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to protecting critical national infrastructure and urged residents to continue providing credible information to security agencies.