Three Arrested Over ₦200 Million Railway Theft

The Oyo State Police Command has arrested three suspected members of a railway vandalism syndicate and recovered stolen railway tracks valued at about ₦200 million during an intelligence-led operation in the state.

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Kayode Opeifa, disclosed the development in a post on X on Wednesday night, commending the police for intercepting the suspects before the stolen infrastructure could be moved to its final destination.

According to Opeifa, the suspects, identified as 54-year-old Waheed Ayinde, 27-year-old Muhammed Sani, and 22-year-old Hassan Ibrahim, were arrested on Tuesday in the Gambari, Orile-Igbon area of Oyo State.

He said police operatives recovered a large quantity of vandalised railway tracks, along with a HOWO truck with registration number CAL 972 XA, which was allegedly being used to transport the stolen materials.

“The Oyo State Police Command has arrested three suspected members of a railway vandalism syndicate and recovered stolen railway tracks valued at approximately ₦200 million during a major intelligence-led operation,” Opeifa wrote.

According to the police, preliminary investigations revealed that the rail tracks were stolen from Niger State and were being transported to Lagos.

“The syndicate reportedly used Ogbomoso as a temporary storage location before attempting to move the stolen infrastructure to its final destination,” the statement said.

Opeifa said the operation was made possible through credible intelligence provided by members of the public, which enabled officers of the Command Monitoring Unit to intercept the suspects before the stolen rail materials could be moved further.

He added that investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest other members of the syndicate, while the police continue efforts to protect critical national infrastructure from criminal activities.

Railway vandalism has remained a major challenge for Nigeria’s transport sector, with authorities repeatedly warning that the destruction and theft of rail infrastructure endanger lives, disrupt train operations and impose huge financial losses on the government.

Oyo Police Arrest 3 Suspected Railway Vandals, Recover Rail Tracks Worth ₦200m

The Oyo State Police Command has arrested three suspected members of a railway vandalism syndicate and recovered stolen railway tracks valued at approximately ₦200 million during a major… pic.twitter.com/2XAPSdjMqJ

— Dr Kayode Opeifa (DKO) (@DrKayodeOpeifa) July 15, 2026