A 37-year-old man, Abiodun Ajayi, has been arrested by the Ogun State Community, Social Orientation and Safety Corps, So-Safe Corps, over the alleged theft of construction materials and equipment from a block-making factory in Agoro, Ogun State.
Ajayi was arrested following a complaint lodged on September 22, 2026, by the owner of the facility, 44-year-old Ajao Idris of Baale Community, Agoro.
Idris told the corps that several construction materials and equipment had disappeared from his compound, which also serves as a block-making factory. The missing items included a rammer, concrete vibrator, floor pallet, reel, Betral tyre, three shovels, a three-foot iron door, a 12-foot pipe and an H-beam iron channel.
According to the State Commander of the corps, Dr Soji Ganzallo in a statement signed by Assistant Commander Adegunwa Adegbuyi, Director of Information and Public Relations of the corps, an eyewitness alerted Idris after allegedly seeing Ajayi attempting to sell the missing iron door.
The eyewitness was subsequently invited to the So-Safe Corps office, where he made a statement concerning the incident.
Following the development, a 56-year-old welder, Kuti Ajayi, who was allegedly approached to purchase the iron door, was also invited for questioning.
Kuti reportedly confirmed that he had bought the door for N20,000 and provided operatives with a photograph of the person who sold it to him.
The photograph was subsequently used by the operatives to identify and locate the suspect.
During interrogation, Ajayi reportedly denied stealing the materials, claiming that he found the iron door by the roadside before selling it.
Further investigation, however, allegedly led to a confession in which the suspect explained how he gained access to the compound through the fence and disclosed other items he allegedly stole and sold.
The suspect also identified two alleged buyers, Mohammed Aminu, 21, from Kano State, and Abubakar Musa, 20, from Katsina State, both of whom were described as scavengers.
So-Safe Corps operatives subsequently visited their business locations, leading to the recovery of the missing 12-foot pipe from Musa.
Musa reportedly told the operatives that he purchased the pipe from Ajayi for N5,000.
Aminu also made a statement, claiming that he had already resold the items he allegedly purchased from the suspect.
The suspects and the recovered property were thereafter handed over to the Nigeria Police Force, Sango-Ota Divisional Headquarters, for further investigation and possible prosecution.
The corps urged members of the public to promptly report suspicious activities to security authorities, reiterating its commitment to protecting lives and property across the state.
