The Oyo State Police Command has arrested two suspects over the alleged theft of large quantities of diesel in Ibadan, the state capital.
The command disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday by its Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade.
According to the police, the suspects were apprehended for allegedly siphoning a liquid substance believed to be diesel from a mixer truck at a construction site.
The suspects were identified as Yusuf Mutiyat, 43, and Ogunniyan Rasheed, 64.
Ayanlade explained that the arrest followed actionable intelligence and collaboration with members of the public.
“Acting on credible intelligence and with the timely cooperation of members of the public, operatives of the Command Monitoring Unit intercepted Yusuf Mutiyat, 43, and Ogunniyan Rasheed, 64, at Kopek Construction Company, Ibadan, where they were engaged in siphoning liquid substances suspected to be diesel from a mixer truck,” he said.
The police spokesman added that further search operations led to the recovery of items suspected to be proceeds of criminal activity.
Among the items recovered were 24 barrels, each containing 240 litres of a substance believed to be diesel, estimated at about 10,000 litres and valued at approximately N12m.
The command assured residents that investigations were ongoing and reaffirmed its commitment to curbing criminal activities across the state.