Police nab four suspects for stealing telecom solar equipment in Oyo

The Oyo State Police Command has arrested four people suspected of vandalizing telecommunications equipment. They recovered stolen solar equipment worth about ₦8 million.

The police shared this information in a statement from their spokesperson, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, on X on Tuesday.

The Command Monitoring Unit caught the suspects on June 20. This happened during a routine stop-and-search operation at the Irepo area along the Oyo-Ogbomoso Expressway.

The suspects are Jimoh Mufutau, 35, from Mowe-Ibafo, Ogun State; Saheed Akanbi, 34, from Onipanu, Lagos State; Lateef Ibrahim, 37, from Igando, Lagos State; and Lukman Jimoh, 38, from Isheri/Berger, Lagos State.

The statement said, "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 are: 1. Jimoh Mufutau (35 years), of Mowe-Ibafo Area, Ogun State;

1. Saheed Akanbi (34 years), of Onipanu Area, Lagos State;
2. Lateef Ibrahim (37 years), of Igando Area, Lagos State; and
3. Lukman Jimoh (38 years), of Isheri/Berger Area, Lagos State."

The police caught the suspects while they were transporting four hybrid solar batteries in an ash-coloured Toyota Sienna with the registration number EPE 992 KH.

Initial investigations show that these batteries, which are worth about ₦8 million, were stolen from a telecommunications facility in Offa, Kwara State.

"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," the statement said.

The police added that the suspects admitted during questioning that they stole the equipment before trying to take it to an unknown location.

"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.

The recovered items and the vehicle used in transporting them have been kept in police custody as evidence. The police are still investigating to find out more about the suspects' criminal activities and to identify other members of their group," the statement continued.

The Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Abimbola Olugbenga, praised the operatives for their alertness and professionalism. He emphasized the command’s commitment to safeguarding important national infrastructure and ensuring that criminals have no place to hide in the state.

He also encouraged the public to continue giving timely and reliable information to the police, calling community involvement crucial in the fight against crime.