The Ogun State Police Command has arrested five suspects, including a trailer driver who allegedly absconded with his employer’s vehicle, following the discovery of what authorities described as a criminal syndicate involved in stealing, dismantling, and selling parts of stolen trailers. Police said parts of the stolen trailer, including its trailer head, have been recovered, while investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest other members of the network.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Monday in Abeokuta. He identified the suspects as the fleeing trailer driver, Temitope Omotayo Odulaja, 47, alongside Segun Suleiman, 27, Haruna Olaogun, 49, Jimoh Wasiu, 42, and Quazzim Suleiman, 49.
According to the police spokesperson, the investigation began after the trailer owner reported at the Ifo Divisional Headquarters that his driver had disappeared with the vehicle on June 6, 2026. After initial efforts to locate both the driver and the trailer failed, detectives attached to the division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Olabisi Kamorudeen, launched an intelligence-driven operation supported by technical surveillance to trace the suspect.
Police said the operation yielded results on July 24, when detectives tracked Odulaja to Ikorodu in Lagos State and arrested him. During interrogation, the suspect allegedly provided information that led investigators to expand the operation to Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, where four additional suspects were apprehended the following day at different locations for their alleged roles in the criminal enterprise.
Preliminary findings revealed that the stolen trailer had been dismantled shortly after it was stolen, with its components allegedly sold off. Detectives have since recovered parts of the vehicle, including the trailer head, while photographs of the dismantled trailer have been documented as exhibits to support the ongoing investigation.
The police further disclosed that the case has exposed the activities of a suspected organized trailer-dismantling syndicate operating within the area. Investigators are working to recover the remaining components of the stolen trailer, identify other members of the group, determine the full scope of its operations, and recover additional exhibits linked to the case.
The Ogun State Police Command assured the public that investigations are continuing and reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that all individuals found culpable are prosecuted in accordance with the law. Authorities also reiterated their resolve to dismantle criminal networks involved in vehicle theft and related offences across the state.
