Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have uncovered an alleged trailer theft operation, arresting five suspects, including the driver of the stolen vehicle.
Police said the investigation also exposed a suspected network that dismantles stolen trailers and sells their parts. Some components of the missing trailer, including its head, have already been recovered, while efforts are ongoing to trace other members of the group and recover the remaining parts.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, made this known in a statement released on Monday.
Those arrested are Temitope Omotayo Odulaja, 47, believed to be the trailer driver, Segun Suleiman, 27, Haruna Olaogun, 49, Jimoh Wasiu, 42, and Quazzim Suleiman, 49.
Babaseyi explained that the case began after the owner of the trailer reported to the Ifo Divisional Headquarters that his driver disappeared with the vehicle on June 6, 2026.
He said, “The breakthrough followed a complaint lodged at the Ifo Divisional Headquarters by the owner of the trailer, who reported that his driver had absconded with the vehicle on 6th June, 2026, and all efforts made to locate him and recover the trailer proved abortive. Upon receipt of the complaint, detectives led by the DPO, CSP Olabisi Kamorudeen, immediately commenced an intelligence-led investigation and deployed technical intelligence to trace the fleeing driver.”
Following intelligence gathering, detectives located Odulaja in Ikorodu, Lagos State, and arrested him on July 24.
“On 24th July, 2026, acting on credible intelligence, detectives tracked the fleeing driver to Ikorodu, Lagos State, where Temitope Omotayo Odulaja, aged 47, was arrested. The suspect thereafter provided useful information that advanced the investigation,” he said.
The suspect’s statement reportedly led investigators to Ijebu Ode, where four additional suspects were picked up the next day.
“On 25th July, 2026, detectives extended the operation to Ijebu-Ode, where Segun Suleiman, aged 27, Haruna Olaogun, aged 49, Jimoh Wasiu, aged 42, and Quazzim Suleiman, aged 49, were arrested at different locations within the area for their alleged involvement in the criminal enterprise”, the statement added.
According to the police, preliminary findings indicate that the trailer was stripped shortly after it was stolen and its parts sold.
The statement continued, “Preliminary investigation revealed that the stolen trailer had been dismantled shortly after it was stolen and its components unlawfully disposed of. Detectives have so far recovered parts of the stolen trailer, including the trailer head, while photographs of the dismantled trailer have been taken as exhibits.
“The investigation has further uncovered a suspected trailer-dismantling syndicate, with ongoing efforts to recover the remaining parts of the trailer, identify and apprehend other members of the syndicate, establish the full extent of its activities, and recover additional exhibits.”
Babaseyi added that investigations are still in progress and that anyone found culpable would face prosecution.
“Investigation is ongoing, and all persons found culpable at the conclusion of the investigation will be charged to court in accordance with the law.”
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, praised the detectives for the successful operation. He also urged transporters, logistics operators, fleet owners and residents to report suspicious movements to the police, assuring the public that the command would continue its crackdown on organised crime.
“The arrest of the fleeing trailer driver, the subsequent arrest of his accomplices, the recovery of parts of the stolen trailer, and the uncovering of the suspected trailer-dismantling syndicate underscore the Command’s unwavering commitment to intelligence-led policing and its determination to identify, disrupt, and dismantle criminal networks operating within Ogun State,” the statement quoted him as saying.