Imo State Police Smash Massive Robbery Syndicate, recovers over 450 motorcycles

By Babatunji Wusu

In a major victory for law enforcement, the Imo State Police Command has dismantled a notorious criminal syndicate that specialized in stealing motorcycles and shuttle buses. The breakthrough occurred following a high-stakes investigation led by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, which resulted in the recovery of a staggering 450 suspected stolen motorcycles and a snatched shuttle bus.

The chain of events began when a local business owner reported that his driver, Paul Ejike Ohaka, had vanished along with a shuttle bus on April 5, 2026. The driver was later discovered unconscious and abandoned along the Onitsha Road axis, having been brutally attacked by the robbers. Following a trail of intelligence, detectives tracked the missing vehicle to a workshop in Orlu, where criminals were already preparing to repaint it to hide its identity.

During the raid, police arrested suspects Olagoke Jelili and Godday Ezike, which led to the further capture of three other accomplices, including the alleged receiver of the stolen goods, Paul Martins Anya. In a desperate attempt to regain their freedom, the suspects offered the police operatives a ₦5 million bribe. However, the officers firmly rejected the cash, upholding the command’s commitment to professional integrity.

Beyond the vehicles, the police recovered over ₦6.4 million in cash, various license plates, and criminal charms from the gang’s hideout. The State Police Commissioner, Audu Garba Bosso, has praised the team’s “zero-tolerance” for corruption and directed a thorough prosecution of all involved. This operation highlights the power of intelligence-led policing in ensuring that criminal elements find no safe haven in Owerri or the surrounding communities.

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