The Rivers State Police Command has dismantled a sophisticated car theft syndicate operating across multiple states in Nigeria, arresting 12 male suspects and recovering 22 stolen vehicles in a major intelligence-led operation.
The breakthrough, announced by the command’s spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, follows a robbery reported in September 2024 by Enoch Daniel, whose Toyota Hiace bus was stolen at Trailer Park in Onne.
The investigation, led by the command’s C4i Strike Force/Octopus team, uncovered a network coordinated by Falco Ibrahim, who remains at large, with operations spanning Rivers, Anambra, Taraba, Enugu, Borno, Kano, Delta, and Akwa Ibom.
Key arrests included ex-convicts John Amadi, 40, from Ogu/Bolo Local Council, and Nna Goodluck, 45, from Khana Local Council, who were hired by Godspower Okpa to steal vehicles using hammers, earning N90,000 each per job.
Further probes extended to Obibo, Kano, and Akwa Ibom, leading to the apprehension of Yakubu Abdullah, 35, caught during a pickup operation in Obibo; Abdulkareem Saminu, 35, found with two stolen vehicles; and Adamu Musa, a dismissed police officer from Akwa Ibom, in possession of 11 stolen vehicles.
Among the arrested were Onyekachi Igwe, an ex-convict and the syndicate’s Port Harcourt liaison, who admitted to earning over N5 million in eight months, and auto electricians Ikechukwu Joseph and Michael Emerenwa, who modified stolen vehicles for export.
Elijah Nwauwa Sunday, a self-styled pastor from Owerri, Imo State, acted as the syndicate’s broker at Mgbuka-Obosi market in Onitsha, while Samuel Ejigbo, another ex-convict, operated in Port Harcourt, and Umar Jabbo was caught attempting to buy a stolen Toyota Camry.
SP Iringe-Koko emphasized the command’s commitment to curbing crime, stating, “These arrests underscore our resolve to make Rivers hostile to criminal syndicates.
We call on residents to remain vigilant and support the police with credible information.”
She confirmed that all suspects will face court charges upon completion of investigations, with efforts ongoing to apprehend the syndicate’s ringleader, Falco Ibrahim, and other fleeing accomplices.
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