RIVERS POLICE SMASH INTER-STATE CAR SNATCHING SYNDICATE, ARREST 12 SUSPECTS, RECOVER 22 VEHICLES
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Rivers State Police Command has dismantled a highly sophisticated inter-state car snatching syndicate with international links, arresting 12 suspects and recovering 22 stolen vehicles.
Among those arrested is a dismissed police officer found in possession of 11 stolen vehicles, as well as three ex-convicts recruited into the criminal operation. The syndicate reportedly operated across several Nigerian states and smuggled stolen vehicles into Cameroon for resale, either whole or as parts.
Police spokesperson SP Grace Iringe-Koko disclosed the breakthrough in a statement on Thursday, revealing that the operation followed the September 2024 carjacking of a Toyota Hiace bus belonging to one Enoch Daniel in the Onne area of Eleme Local Government.
An intelligence-led operation by the C4i Strike Force/Octopus Unit led to the arrest of key suspects, including:
John Amadi (40) and Nna Goodluck (45), both from Rivers State and ex-convicts hired to snatch the vehicle using hammers for N90,000 each;
Abdulkareem Saminu (35), arrested with two stolen vehicles;
Adamu Musa, a dismissed police officer apprehended in Akwa Ibom with 11 stolen vehicles;
Shehu Shagari, the alleged cross-border agent responsible for smuggling the cars into Cameroon.
The suspected ringleader, identified as Falco Ibrahim, remains at large. He is believed to coordinate a wide network spanning Rivers, Anambra, Enugu, Delta, Taraba, Borno, and Kano states.
Other arrested individuals include:
Onyekachi Igwe (53), an ex-convict who served as the Port Harcourt liaison and confessed to earning over N5 million in eight months;
Elijah Nwauwa Sunday (45), a self-proclaimed pastor from Imo State who acted as the syndicate’s spiritual front and broker at the Mgbuka-Obosi scrap market in Onitsha;
Ikechukwu Joseph (35) and Michael Emerenwa (40), both auto-electricians involved in vehicle modifications for illegal export;
Samuel Ejigbo (39) and Umar Jabbo (25), who acted as field operatives and buyers of stolen cars.
The police said all suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the ringleader and other fleeing members of the network.
“This successful operation highlights the Command’s commitment to making Rivers State unsafe for criminals,” SP Iringe-Koko stated, urging residents to support ongoing efforts with credible information.
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