The Police Command in Oyo State has arrested two suspected members of a syndicate involved in stealing vehicles and trafficking them across Nigeria’s borders for sale in neighbouring countries.
The command also recovered a stolen Lexus RX 350 SUV and other valuables belonging to its owner.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, said on Wednesday in Ibadan that the suspects were arrested during an intelligence-led operation by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit.
He said the operation followed information provided by a suspect already in police custody over an armed robbery case, who disclosed the activities of a gang involved in receiving and transporting stolen vehicles across the border.
Olayinka said the police subsequently received information that a 2017 Lexus RX 350, which had been stolen from a woman at gunpoint at her residence in Ilorin, was being moved towards Oyo State.
He said operatives mounted a stop-and-search operation along the Ibadan–Ilorin Expressway and sighted the vehicle at about 4 a.m. on Monday.
According to him, the occupants abandoned the vehicle and fled into the bush but were pursued by the operatives, leading to the arrest of two suspects. One of them sustained a gunshot wound to the left foot during the operation.
A search of the recovered vehicle led to the recovery of four HP laptops, an iPhone 15 Pro Max, seven wristwatches and some jewellery belonging to the victim.
Olayinka said the suspects confessed during interrogation that they had received the vehicle from the syndicate that stole it in Ilorin and were transporting it to the border for sale in a neighbouring country.
He said the suspects were also expected to obtain an ECOWAS document to facilitate the vehicle’s movement across the border.
The Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Abimbola Olugbenga, commended the operatives for their prompt response and effective use of intelligence.
He also stressed the importance of cooperation between security commands in different states in tackling organised and cross-border criminal activities.
