Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested a trailer driver and four other suspects for allegedly operating a syndicate that dismantles and disposes of stolen trailers, following the recovery of parts of a missing trailer reported stolen in Ifo Local Government Area.
The suspects were identified as Temitope Omotayo Odulaja (47), Segun Suleiman (27), Haruna Olaogun (49), Jimoh Wasiu (42), and Quazzim Suleiman (49).
According to the Ogun State Police Command, the arrests followed a complaint lodged at the Ifo Divisional Police Headquarters by the owner of a trailer, who reported that his driver, Temitope Omotayo Odulaja, disappeared with the vehicle on June 6, 2026. The complainant said all efforts to trace the driver and recover the trailer proved unsuccessful.
Confirming the development, the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, said detectives attached to the Ifo Division, under the leadership of the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Olabisi Kamorudeen, immediately launched an intelligence-led investigation.
According to Babaseyi, detectives tracked the fleeing driver to Ikorodu, Lagos State, where he was arrested on July 24, 2026.
“Acting on credible intelligence, detectives tracked the fleeing driver to Ikorodu, Lagos State, where Temitope Omotayo Odulaja was arrested. The suspect thereafter provided useful information that advanced the investigation,” the police spokesperson said.
He explained that the investigation led officers to Ijebu-Ode the following day, where four additional suspects were arrested at different locations for their alleged involvement in the criminal operation.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the stolen trailer had already been dismantled and its components sold off.
The police said detectives have so far recovered parts of the stolen trailer, including the trailer head, while photographs of the dismantled vehicle have been taken as exhibits.
Babaseyi disclosed that the investigation uncovered what is believed to be a well-organised trailer-dismantling syndicate, adding that efforts are ongoing to recover the remaining parts of the trailer, identify other members of the group and recover additional exhibits.
“Investigation is ongoing, and all persons found culpable at the conclusion of the investigation will be charged to court in accordance with the law,” he added.
Reacting to the breakthrough, the Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, commended the detectives for their professionalism and intelligence-driven approach, describing the operation as a major success in the fight against organised vehicle theft.
According to the police commissioner, the arrest of the fleeing driver and his alleged accomplices, alongside the recovery of parts of the stolen trailer, demonstrates the Command’s commitment to combating organised crime through proactive and intelligence-led policing.
Ojajuni also urged transport operators, fleet owners, logistics companies and members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons, vehicles and activities to the police.
He assured residents that the Ogun State Police Command would continue to strengthen intelligence-led operations and other proactive policing strategies to protect lives and property while ensuring that criminal elements are brought to justice.