ONDO POLICE CRACKDOWN: MAJOR BREAKTHROUGHS IN VEHICLE THEFT, ARMED ROBBERY, AND FRAUD
By Exponent News Akure, May 1, 2025
In a significant stride towards crime reduction, the Ondo State Police Command has recorded multiple breakthroughs in its ongoing operations against organized crime, vehicle theft, armed robbery, and fraud, leading to several arrests and recovery of stolen property.
During a press briefing held today, the State Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Olutokunbo Afolabi revealed that recent efforts by tactical squads and surveillance units have drastically lowered crime rates across the state. Among the key achievements is the arrest of a notorious car theft syndicate and recovery of multiple stolen vehicles, including a Dyna truck stolen on March 16 ,2025, belonging to Tajudeen Kasali from the High School area and traced to Oyo State.
The suspect, Ayodele Temetope, 42years old confessed to stealing the truck and selling it in Ibadan for N1.8 million. Further investigation led to the recovery of additional vehicles — a Nissan Primera (LND248BF) and a Toyota Camry (KTU235GA) — from locations in Ibadan and Saki, in oyo state . A second major car theft case involved a Toyota Camry (ABU499LW), stolen on April 13 and later recovered in Ogun State. The suspect, Afolabi Emmanuel, aged 32 years , admitted to trafficking stolen vehicles to Benue State. This led to the arrest of a key receiver, Ezekiel Valentine, aged 35 years who lives in Gboko – Benue State and the recovery of a Lexus ES350. Police are en route back from Ogun State with three more recovered vehicles linked to Emmanuel.
In another operation, SWAT operatives arrested two suspects — Dale Jacob, aged 38 and IIdowu Dada, aged 35 — who specialized in burgling homes for building materials and electronics. The arrest followed a tip-off from Akure’s outskirts, with several items including plasma TVs, gas cookers, and generators recovered.
On April 14, three suspects , i— Micheal Tobii, Adurayemi, Olanisu, Dudu and an accomplice still at large — were implicated in a robbery that resulted in the theft of an iPhone 13 Pro Max and a motorcycle worth nearly N2 million. Prompt action by A Division detectives led to the arrest of the first two suspects and recovery of the motorcycle.
The command also busted a job scam racketeer on April 28 following a complaint received days earlier. The suspect, Oyebode Oluwakemi, allegedly defrauded victims of over N5 million under the guise of securing government jobs.In the cost of investigation , it was discovered that the suspect has defrauded her victims over N250 million naira .She has been arrested and she remains in custody as investigations continue.
On April 29, operatives recovered three stolen motorcycles and an unregistered bike, alongside a locally-made revolver pistol, live ammunition, and stolen electronics from a 24-room compound in Sabo, Emure Owo. Two suspects, including Shaibu Tenumu, were apprehended, with police confirming their involvement in armed robbery and kidnapping. While others suspect we’re still at large..
The most disturbing case, however, involved a mass rescue operation. On April 24, detectives uncovered a fraudulent employment syndicate run by one Zakaria Sadiq, who held 20 young people hostage in Akure ( Oba-Ile) The victims, lured from Osun and Oyo States with job promises, were coerced into a pyramid-like scheme by a group calling itself Quest International Company. Each was defrauded of N1.5 million and cut off from their families. Twenty victims were rescued from the suspect at Oba-Ile in Akure. They are Rafiu Kehinde, Adebayo Nafishat, Mohammed Aisha, Jesujuwon Osuntokun, Mustapha Gbolahan, Ibukun Samuel, Gbolahan Wasiu, Aminu Afashina, Mohammed Sheriff , Adebayo Ruhamat, Shaheed Ibrahim, Ibrahim Adebayo, Adebayo Sukurat, Olawoye Wasilat, Solagberu Sakirat, Adeyemi Sukurat, Basari Sadiq and ,Raji Taofiq . The victims would be reunited with their family later.The victims have been rescued and are undergoing rehabilitation, while Sadiq remains in custody awaiting prosecution.
So far, at least five suspects are in custody in connection with the vehicle theft syndicates, two with the robbery gang, and multiple others are under investigation. Six stolen vehicles have been recovered and are available for identification and claim by rightful owners with valid documents.
Commending the public for its cooperation, the CP urged citizens to remain vigilant, install vehicle trackers or use mechanical anti-theft devices, and report suspicious activity. “Security is a shared responsibility,” he said, adding that the police would continue adopting innovative strategies to confront emerging threats.
“These achievements would not have been possible without the trust and timely information shared by the public,” he concluded, assuring residents of the command’s commitment to professionalism and community engagement.
