Police Link Ex-Convicts To 5 Vehicles, N50m Valuables Stolen

The police have linked two suspected ex-convicts, Ejike Ani, 32, and Chubuzor Anasihwe, 31, to a freeway theft gang allegedly chargeable for stealing about 5 automobiles and valuables estimated at N50 million alongside the Ife-Ilesa Expressway in Osun State.

The suspects have been arrested at completely different areas in Lagos by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit following investigations right into a sequence of theft incidents alongside the expressway.

The incidents reportedly occurred on August 20 and September 20, 2026, with the suspects allegedly linked to the gang’s operations throughout which automobiles and different valuables have been stolen from victims.

During interrogation, Ani and Anasihwe reportedly disclosed that they first met whereas serving jail sentences and reunited after their launch.

Ani, who attributed his alleged involvement within the robberies to monetary hardship, mentioned mounting money owed and the price of his mom’s eye surgical procedure contributed to his choice to affix the gang.

He claimed that his mom’s eye surgical procedure value N800,000 and that he was struggling financially on the time.

Ani additionally alleged that members of the gang used sticks wrapped with tape to make them appear to be weapons whereas finishing up their operations.

According to his account, the gang robbed victims of a Toyota Corolla, cellphones and money. He claimed that he acquired N10,000 on two events for his participation within the prison actions.

Anasihwe confirmed that he met Ani whereas they have been each in jail and that they reconnected after their launch.

However, he claimed that he participated in just one theft and denied involvement in a later incident involving a standard ruler. He mentioned he had already been arrested earlier than that incident occurred.

The suspects’ accounts type a part of the continued police investigation into the theft incidents and the actions of the alleged gang.

The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Fatai Tijani, mentioned preliminary investigations had linked the suspects to the reported incidents alongside the Ife-Ilesa Expressway.

Tijani mentioned the arrests have been according to the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to accentuate operations in opposition to prison actions.

The police are persevering with their investigations to ascertain the total extent of the suspects’ alleged involvement, together with their attainable connections to the stolen automobiles and valuables.

The allegations in opposition to the suspects have but to be confirmed in courtroom.