Police arrest four over alleged truck hijacking, theft in Oyo

The Oyo State Police Command has arrested four suspected members of a robbery syndicate allegedly involved in hijacking, diverting and stealing trucks in the state before moving them to criminal receivers in Kwara.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer,  Olayinka Ayanlade, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday in Ibadan.

Ayanlade said the arrests followed intelligence and a tip-off from members of the public that the syndicate was planning another operation on Aug. 24 at about 11 p.m.

He said the Commissioner of Police immediately directed operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) to conduct an intelligence-led stop-and-search operation along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

“Acting on the directive, operatives of the VCRU swung into action and successfully intercepted a white-coloured SINO HOWO truck and arrested two male suspects, identified as Ojedokun, the motorboy, attached to the driver of the truck, and his accomplice, Ismail.

“The recovered truck had already had its bucket removed and was being driven towards the Ogbomoso/Ilorin axis for onward delivery and sale to a criminal receiver,” the spokesperson said.

Ayanlade said preliminary investigation revealed that Ojedokun, the motorboy, allegedly masterminded the hijacking of the truck from his employer along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

He said further investigation led operatives to track and arrest two other members of the syndicate, identified as Adekunle and Music.

According to him, the suspect known as “Music” specialised in removing vehicle trackers and other electronic devices used to identify and locate the trucks, thereby frustrating efforts to trace or recover the stolen vehicles.

Ayanlade said efforts were ongoing to recover the detached bucket of the truck and apprehend other members of the syndicate who remained at large.

He said the Commissioner of Police, CP Abimbola Olugbenga, thanked members of the public for providing timely and credible information that contributed to the arrest of the four suspects.

(NAN)