The Oyo State police command has arrested four suspected criminals who specialise in hijacking, diversion and stealing of trucks from unsuspecting drivers in the state and neighbouring states.

The suspects’ arrest was announced by the command’s spokesman, Ayanlade Olayinka, in a statement on Sunday.

He said the suspects snatched vehicles before moving them to criminals in Kwara State.

Mr Olayinka said the command got actionable intelligence and a tip-off from members of the public that the syndicate would be operating on Monday on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

He stated that the state commissioner of police directed operatives of the command’s violent crime response unit (VCRU) to mount an intelligence-led stop-and-search operation along the expressway.

He stated, “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 Olakunle Isaac, the motor boy attached to the driver of the truck, and his accomplice, Ajuwon Ismail.”

He noted that the recovered truck had already had its back body/bucket removed and was being driven towards the Ogbomoso/Ilorin axis for onward delivery and sale to a receiver.

Mr Olayinka said Mr Issac during interrogation confessed to masterminding the hijacking of the truck from his master along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

“His confession provided further leads which enabled operatives to track and arrest two other members of the syndicate, identified as Adekunle Sunday and Rasheed Music.

“Investigation into the activities of the syndicate revealed that Adekunle Sunday routinely played the role of the syndicate’s designated driver whenever a truck was hijacked, helping to securely drive the stolen vehicle to the criminal receiver,” he noted.

According to the spokesman, it was also discovered that Rasheed Music specialised in removing vehicle trackers and other electronic devices used for the identification and location of the trucks, thereby frustrating efforts to trace or recover the stolen vehicles.

He stated that further investigation showed that the syndicate operated along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Monday at about 11:00 p.m where the said truck was hijacked and subsequently diverted towards the Ogbomoso/Ilorin axis for onward sale. 

“The intelligence-led intervention of the VCRU operatives disrupted the syndicate’s plan and resulted in the recovery of the vehicle,” he said.

He added that efforts were currently ongoing to recover the detached back body of the truck and apprehend fleeing members of the syndicate.