Three held as police seize N200m stolen rail tracks in Oyo

Police in Oyo State have arrested three suspected railway vandals and recovered stolen tracks worth about N200 million. The operation, carried out in Surulere Local Government Area, was triggered by a tip from a local resident.

Spokesperson Olayinka Ayanlade said the Command Monitoring Unit acted on the intelligence and intercepted the suspects at 1:45 p.m. Tuesday. A HOWO truck with Cross River plate CAL 972 XA was also seized.

The suspects; Waheed Ayinde, 54; Muhammed Sani, 27; and Hassan Ibrahim, 22, had distinct tasks: one drove the truck, one coordinated the movement, and the third held the goods at a Ogbomoso stash before they were to be moved to Lagos. The tracks, investigators found, were cut from Niger State and brought into Oyo illegally.

All three are now talking, according to the police, who said they're cooperating fully. The command is still hunting for other members of the network.

Commissioner Olugbenga Abimbola commended the informant and called the arrest proof that intelligence-sharing with the public works. He vowed that Oyo won't become a safe corridor for economic sabotage, and asked citizens to keep passing on useful information.