By RhemDy News
Three suspected members of a car snatching syndicate allegedly operating between Oyo and Ondo states have been apprehended by the Oyo State Police Command.
Police also recovered the stolen Toyota Carina E from the arrested suspects in Akure, Ondo State capital.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Oyo State Command, DSP Ayanlade Olushola Olayinka, in a statement said the arrest followed a complaint lodged on July 3, 2026, by Ruben Adebayo, a 55-year-old resident of Akobo, at the Agodi Divisional Police Headquarters, Ibadan.
Adebayo had reported that his Toyota Carina E, with registration number GGE 488 CN, had been stolen by a passenger he conveyed to the Motor Spare Parts Market at Gate, Ibadan.
Olayinka said preliminary investigations revealed that the principal suspect, 60-year-old Femi Ojo, had hired the vehicle under the pretext of purchasing a vehicle engine and other spare parts.
He added that Ojo reportedly engaged the driver in negotiations with traders before asking him to deliver a purchased vehicle shaft to another location through a commercial motorcycle rider, claiming it would be faster.
However, while the complainant was away, an accomplice of the principal suspect allegedly stole the parked vehicle and fled.
Olayinka further explained that detectives immediately launched an intelligence-led investigation that led to the arrest of Ojo in Akure, Ondo State.
Further investigations revealed that the suspect, in collaboration with an accomplice, now at large, allegedly sold the stolen vehicle for ₦700,000 to 49-year-old Kayode Afolabi, who subsequently resold it for ₦800,000 to another suspect, 49-year-old Olatunji Mutiu.
The stolen vehicle was later recovered at Oyarugbulem Motor Spare Parts Market in Akure during a follow-up operation.
Police said the suspects had attempted to conceal the vehicle's identity by repainting it from its original Oyo State commercial colour to green.
Investigators also discovered that the latest buyer had begun dismantling the vehicle by removing its engine and gearbox.
The removed components were recovered, while the vehicle has been taken into police custody as investigations continue.
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