Police arrest four suspected telecom infrastructure vandals in Oyo, recover ₦8m solar equipment

Oyo State Police have arrested four individuals suspected of vandalizing telecommunications infrastructure, recovering stolen solar equipment valued at approximately ₦8 million. The arrests were made on June 20 during a routine stop-and-search operation by the Command Monitoring Unit along the Oyo-Ogbomoso Expressway.

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On June 20, 2026, operatives of the Command Monitoring Unit, while conducting a routine stop-and-search operation at Irepo area along the Oyo–Ogbomoso Expressway, intercepted and arrested four suspects found in possession of suspected stolen telecommunications power equipment.

The suspects, identified as Jimoh Mufutau, Saheed Akanbi, Lateef Ibrahim, and Lukman Jimoh, were intercepted while transporting four hybrid solar batteries in an ash-coloured Toyota Sienna with registration number EPE 992 KH. Preliminary investigations suggest the batteries, valued at around ₦8 million, were stolen from a telecommunications facility in Offa, Kwara State.

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Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects were conveying four hybrid solar batteries valued at approximately Eight Million Naira (₦8,000,000) in an ash-coloured Toyota Sienna vehicle with registration number EPE 992 KH.

During interrogation, the suspects confessed to stealing the equipment before attempting to transport it to an undisclosed destination. The recovered items and the vehicle have been taken into police custody as exhibits. The Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Abimbola Olugbenga, commended the operatives for their vigilance and reiterated the command's commitment to protecting critical infrastructure.

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During interrogation, the suspects confessed to stealing the items from a telecommunications facility in Offa, Kwara State, before attempting to transport them to an undisclosed destination.