The Rivers State Police Command has dismantled a major interstate car snatching syndicate with foreign links, arresting 12 suspects including a dismissed police officer and three ex convicts, and recovering 22 stolen vehicles.
The operation, described as intelligence led, followed a report by a victim, Mr. Enoch Daniel, whose Toyota Hiace bus was stolen at gunpoint in the Trailer Park area of Onne, Eleme Local Government Area, in September 2024.
Spokesperson of the command, SP Grace Iringe Koko, who disclosed the development in a statement on Thursday, said the syndicate had networks stretching across several states including Kano, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Taraba, and even neighboring Cameroon.
“Swift investigations by the Command’s C4i Strike Force Octopus Unit led to the arrest of 12 male suspects and the recovery of 22 stolen vehicles,” Iringe Koko said.
Among those apprehended were John Amadi, 40, and Nna Goodluck, 45, both ex convicts from Rivers State who admitted to being paid ₦90000 each by one Godspower Okpa to snatch Daniel’s vehicle using hammers.
Further investigations led operatives to locations in Oyigbo, Kano, and Akwa Ibom, where more members of the gang were arrested, including:
Yakubu Abdullah, 35, arrested during a pickup operation in Oyigbo
Abdulkareem Saminu, 35, caught with two stolen vehicles
Adamu Musa, a dismissed police officer found with 11 vehicles in Akwa Ibom
Iringe Koko revealed that the syndicate was coordinated by one Falco Ibrahim, who remains at large.
His network allegedly extended to eight Nigerian states, with smuggled vehicles sold in Cameroon either as whole units or dismantled parts.
The police also arrested:
Onyekachi Igwe, 53, an ex convict and liaison in Port Harcourt who confessed to earning over ₦5 million in eight months from the illegal trade
Ikechukwu Joseph, 35, and Michael Emerenwa, 40, auto electricians responsible for modifying vehicles for export
Elijah Nwauwa Sunday, 45, a self proclaimed pastor from Imo State who acted as the syndicate’s broker at the Mgbuka Obosi car scrap market in Onitsha
Samuel Ejigbo, 39, from Kogi State, another ex convict and field operator in Port Harcourt
Umar Jabbo, 25, from Taraba State, arrested while attempting to purchase a stolen Toyota Camry
The command stressed that efforts were ongoing to track down Ibrahim and other fleeing members of the gang.
“This operation reflects the Command’s commitment to making Rivers State uncomfortable for criminal elements,” Iringe Koko said, urging residents to remain vigilant and provide useful information to the police.
She added that all suspects will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.