The Rivers State Police Command has successfully dismantled a sophisticated interstate car theft syndicate, arresting 12 male suspects and recovering 22 stolen vehicles. This operation, which began in September 2024, came after a victim, Enoch Daniel, reported that his Toyota Hiace bus was snatched at gunpoint.
Among the suspects arrested were a dismissed police officer, three ex-convicts, and a self-styled pastor. The police identified the dismissed officer, Adamu Musa, as being in possession of 11 stolen vehicles. One of the ex-convicts, Onyekachi Igwe, confessed to earning over ₦5 million from the criminal activity in just eight months. The syndicate’s network was found to extend across at least eight states, including Rivers, Anambra, Taraba, Enugu, Borno, Kano, and Akwa Ibom, with the stolen vehicles often sold in Cameroon.
The police spokesperson for Rivers State, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the arrests and stated that all suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations. She added that efforts are ongoing to apprehend the ringleader, Falco Ibrahim, who is currently at large.
While some reports mention a viral video in the context of other arrests, the recent and detailed information on the car snatching syndicate in Rivers State does not explicitly link the arrests to a specific viral video of a car snatcher. Instead, the police stated that the operation was intelligence-led and followed a specific report from a victim.
