The Oyo State Police Command has arrested four suspected telecommunications infrastructure vandals and recovered stolen solar-powered equipment valued at approximately ₦8 million.
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Ayanlade Olayinka, and shared on X (formerly Twitter), the suspects were apprehended on June 20 by operatives of the Command Monitoring Unit during a routine stop-and-search operation along the Irepo axis of the Oyo–Ogbomoso Expressway.
The suspects were identified as Jimoh Mufutau (35), Saheed Akanbi (34), Lateef Ibrahim (37), and Lukman Jimoh (38), all residents of different locations across Ogun and Lagos States.
They were reportedly intercepted while transporting four hybrid solar batteries in an ash-coloured Toyota Sienna with registration number EPE 992 KH.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the equipment was stolen from a telecommunications facility in Offa, Kwara State, and was being moved to an undisclosed destination at the time of interception.
The police further disclosed that the suspects confessed during interrogation to stealing the items from the facility before attempting to transport them out of the area.
Both the recovered batteries and the vehicle used in conveying them have been taken into police custody as exhibits, while investigations are ongoing to uncover the full extent of the operation and identify possible accomplices.
The Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Abimbola Olugbenga, commended the operatives for their professionalism and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to safeguarding critical national infrastructure.
He also urged residents to continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible information to aid crime prevention and detection.
