Two suspects were arrested after a stolen Lexus RX 350 was intercepted on the Ibadan-Ilorin Expressway, with laptops, jewellery and other valuables recovered

The Oyo State Police Command on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, in Ibadan announced the arrest of Adewale Abiola, 33, and Kabiru Abobarin, 36, over an alleged transnational vehicle theft network, after operatives intercepted a stolen Lexus RX 350 on the Ibadan-Ilorin Expressway.

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The Oyo police car theft operation also led to the recovery of four HP laptops, an iPhone 15 Pro Max, seven wristwatches and jewellery allegedly belonging to the victim of an armed robbery in Ilorin, Kwara State. (The Guardian Nigeria)

The command said the arrests followed intelligence shared by the Kwara State Police Command after the 2017 Lexus RX 350 was allegedly stolen from a woman at gunpoint at her residence in Ilorin on August 24.

According to Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, the breakthrough began with information obtained from a suspect already in custody over an armed robbery case involving about 10 alleged victims.

The suspect reportedly told investigators about a criminal network specialising in receiving stolen vehicles and moving them across Nigeria’s borders for sale abroad.

Police said the suspect was subsequently allowed to use his mobile phone under controlled circumstances. During the operation, members of the alleged network reportedly sent him photographs of a vehicle they planned to steal and instructed him to arrange its reception and movement towards the border.

The intelligence proved crucial when the Kwara Command alerted its Oyo counterpart about the stolen Lexus.

Oyo State Commissioner of Police Abimbola Olugbenga then directed the Violent Crime Response Unit to establish an intelligence-led stop-and-search operation along the Ibadan-Ilorin Expressway.

At about 4am on August 25, VCRU operatives reportedly spotted the Lexus and attempted to stop it.

The occupants allegedly abandoned the vehicle and fled into nearby bushland, prompting a pursuit that resulted in the arrest of Abiola and Abobarin, also known as “KB”. One of the suspects sustained a gunshot wound to his left foot during the operation, according to the police. (Independent Newspaper Nigeria)

A search of the recovered SUV yielded the electronic devices, watches and jewellery said to belong to the robbery victim.

During preliminary interrogation, the suspects allegedly told investigators that they had received the Lexus from the gang responsible for stealing it in Ilorin.

They also reportedly disclosed that they were taking the vehicle towards the border, where an ECOWAS document would be obtained to facilitate its movement into a foreign country for sale. (Leadership)

The development highlights the increasingly sophisticated nature of organised vehicle theft, in which stolen cars can be moved rapidly across state and national boundaries before their ownership history attracts scrutiny.

The police did not, however, disclose the identity of the wider syndicate or the intended destination of the Lexus.

The case is now being investigated further, with the command saying efforts are under way to identify and arrest other alleged members of the network.

The Nigeria Police Force’s national operational summary released on Wednesday also listed the Oyo operation among its recent successes, confirming that the recovered Lexus, four laptops, an iPhone 15 Pro Max, seven wristwatches and jewellery had been secured as exhibits.

The State Criminal Investigation Department in Ibadan is handling the investigation. (TwStalker)

Olugbenga commended the VCRU operatives for their prompt response, professionalism and effective use of actionable intelligence.

He also praised the cooperation between the Oyo and Kwara commands, stressing that intelligence-sharing across state boundaries is important in disrupting criminal networks whose activities extend beyond a single jurisdiction.

The operation follows an earlier Oyo police crackdown on vehicle-related armed robbery.

In January, the command announced the arrest of two dismissed Nigerian Army corporals accused of dispossessing motorists of vehicles at gunpoint and recovered several vehicles, including a Lexus RX 350. (The Nation)

The latest case is different in scope, however, with investigators now examining an alleged network connecting vehicle theft, interstate transportation and planned cross-border movement.

For the police, the immediate priority is to determine how extensive the network is, identify the alleged vehicle thieves and establish whether other stolen vehicles have already been moved through the same route.

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The command said the investigation would be intensified with the aim of dismantling the wider transnational network and bringing all those found culpable to justice.