Police in Ondo State have arrested a 42-year-old man, Ayodele Temitope, for alleged car theft. The arrest led to the recovery of three stolen vehicles from different parts of Oyo State.
The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Wilfred Afolabi, made this known during a press briefing on Friday in Akure. He praised the command’s recent successes in tackling various crimes across the state.
According to Afolabi, the breakthrough came after Tajudeen Kasali of High School, Akure, reported his missing vehicle on March 16. Kasali said he woke up around 3:00 a.m. to discover that his Dyna truck, worth N5 million, had vanished.
Police began investigating immediately. Thanks to a timely tip from a concerned citizen, officers tracked and arrested Temitope.
During questioning, Temitope admitted to stealing the Dyna truck. He confessed that he sold the vehicle in Ibadan for N1.8 million. Officers then activated the Tactical Intelligence Response Squad (TIRS) to recover the truck.
The team found the Dyna in Ibadan, in the possession of a man who unknowingly bought the stolen vehicle. They also recovered two other stolen cars linked to the suspect.
TIRS operatives found a Nissan Primera with plate number LND 248 BF in Ibadan. In addition, they recovered a Toyota Camry with registration number KTU 235 GA from the suspect’s house in Saki, Oyo State.
Afolabi stressed that these recoveries reflect the success of intelligence-based policing and community collaboration.
The CP thanked residents for their support. He urged them to report suspicious behavior, noting that security is everyone’s responsibility.
“With continued cooperation from the public, we can make Ondo a safer place,” he said.
Command Reinforces Policing Strategy
Afolabi assured the public of the command’s commitment to professional and community-focused policing. He added that regular training of officers will continue to ensure prompt responses to threats.
“We are adopting modern strategies to deal with rising security concerns. Our goal is to build stronger trust between the police and the people,” he concluded.
Investigations into the case are ongoing, and more arrests may follow.
