Police bust multi-state vehicle theft syndicate linking Enugu, Abia, Lagos

By : NAN

Date: 6 January 2026 2:35pm WAT

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Nigeria Police Force

Nigeria Police Force

Police operatives in Enugu State have recovered stolen heavy-duty trucks and a sports utility vehicle during operations that uncovered a vehicle theft network operating across Enugu, Abia and Lagos states.

The Enugu State Police Command said the recoveries were made during separate intelligence-led operations carried out by officers attached to different police divisions in the state. Two suspects were detained in connection with the theft of trucks, while another suspect was arrested while attempting to sell a stolen vehicle.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said operatives of the Emene Police Division acted on credible information received through the Command’s Control Room on 22 December 2025. According to him, the officers mobilised to a location in Emene at about 8 a.m. following a report of a stolen truck.

“At the location, they recovered a yellow Mack truck carrying a 40-foot container and another white Mack truck without a registration number,” Ndukwe said. “The trucks had earlier been stolen from Aba, Abia State, and taken to a buyer before their recovery. Two male suspects were subsequently detained in connection with the crime.”

He explained that preliminary investigations revealed that one of the suspects is a Mack truck mechanic based in Aba, Abia State, while the other is a scrap dealer. Ndukwe added that the owners of the recovered trucks had since identified them, while further investigations were ongoing to trace other members of the syndicate.

In a related development, the police spokesperson said operatives of the Uwani Police Division arrested another male suspect on 17 December 2025 at about 6:40 p.m. while attempting to dispose of a stolen vehicle at a car stand in Uwani, Enugu.

“The recovered vehicle—an ox-blood coloured Toyota Highlander with registration number AGL 929 FX—was reportedly stolen in Isolo, Lagos State,” Ndukwe said. “The suspect and the recovered vehicle have since been handed over to the Police Division where the case was originally reported in Lagos State for conclusive investigation.”

The Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mr Mamman Giwa, commended the operatives involved in the arrests for what he described as professionalism, vigilance and a prompt response to intelligence. He also reassured residents of the command’s commitment to public safety in the New Year.

“We urge members of the public to continue cooperating with the police by providing credible information and promptly reporting suspicious persons and criminal activities,” Ndukwe added.

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