The Oyo State Police Command has arrested two suspected members of a transnational car theft syndicate and recovered a Lexus RX 350 SUV allegedly stolen from a woman at gunpoint in Ilorin, Kwara State.
The suspects were arrested after police operatives intercepted the vehicle while it was being conveyed towards the border for onward movement to a foreign country.
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, on Wednesday, the operation followed actionable intelligence received from the Kwara State Police Command on August 24, 2026, requesting assistance in intercepting the stolen 2017 Lexus SUV.
The statement said the vehicle was allegedly stolen from the victim’s residence in Ilorin at gunpoint, alongside other valuables.
Following the information, the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, directed operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) to mount an intelligence-led stop-and-search operation along the Ibadan–Ilorin Expressway.
At about 4:00am on August 25, 2026, the operatives sighted the vehicle and attempted to stop it for interrogation. The occupants, however, abandoned the SUV and fled into the bush.
The police said the operatives gave chase and arrested two suspects, identified as Adewale Abiola, 33, and Kabiru Abobarin, 36, also known as “KB”. One of the suspects sustained a bullet wound to his left foot during the operation.
A search of the recovered vehicle led to the recovery of four HP laptops, an iPhone 15 Pro Max, a bag containing seven wristwatches and some jewellery, which the police said belonged to the victim.
During preliminary interrogation, the suspects allegedly confessed to receiving the vehicle from members of the syndicate that stole it in Ilorin.
“They further disclosed that they were conveying the vehicle towards the border, where an ECOWAS document was to be obtained to facilitate its movement across the border for sale in a foreign country,” the statement said.
The police said the breakthrough followed information provided by another suspect already in custody in connection with an armed robbery case.
The suspect, during interrogation, allegedly disclosed his knowledge of a criminal gang involved in receiving and conveying stolen vehicles to foreign countries.
According to the police, operatives subsequently allowed the suspect to use his mobile phone under controlled circumstances, during which members of the syndicate allegedly sent him photographs of a vehicle they were preparing to steal and instructed him to arrange its reception and movement across the border.
The Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, commended the VCRU operatives for their prompt response and use of actionable intelligence.
He directed that the investigation be intensified to identify and arrest other members of the syndicate and dismantle the wider transnational criminal network.
The command also commended the Kwara State Police Command for its cooperation and intelligence-sharing, stressing that sustained inter-state collaboration was critical to disrupting organised and transnational criminal activities.
The Oyo State Police Command reaffirmed its commitment to intelligence-led policing, inter-agency collaboration and bringing criminal networks operating within and across the state to justice.