Three suspected armed robbers have confessed to allegedly terrorising motorists along the Ife Expressway in Osun State, including a robbery in which valuables estimated at N50m were reportedly stolen from a monarch.
Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit arrested the suspects, identified as Chubuzor Anasihwe, 31; Uchena Steven, 26; and Ejike Ani, 31, following actionable intelligence.
The suspects were said to have carried out the operations on August 23 and September 30, 2026, during which about five vehicles were reportedly snatched.
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Fatai Tijani, disclosed this on Wednesday during a briefing at the command headquarters in Ikeja.
He added that one of the stolen vehicles, a Toyota van with registration number BDJ 180 AJ, Oyo State, had been recovered.
He said, “Operatives of the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit, acting on actionable intelligence, traced and arrested three suspected armed robbers at two different locations in Lagos.
“The suspects are Chubuzor Anasihwe, 31; Uchena Steven, 26; and Ejike Ani, 31.
“Preliminary investigation linked the suspects to alleged robbery operations which occurred on 23/08/2026 and 30/09/2026 along the Ife Expressway in Osun State, during which about five vehicles were reportedly snatched, and valuables estimated at approximately N50m were allegedly carted away.
“One Toyota van with registration number BDJ 180 AJ, Oyo State, was recovered.”
According to the CP, the suspects had made confessional statements and were assisting the police in efforts to recover the other stolen vehicles, arrest other members of the gang and recover the weapons allegedly used in the operations.
One of the suspects, Ani, explained during questioning how the gang allegedly robbed the monarch.
He said a member of the gang, identified as Obina, had taken them to the Ife Road area to snatch vehicles.
“We reached there. We didn’t use a gun, but we bought a cellotape and cut a stick. We used the cello tape and the stick.”
According to him, the gang later encountered the monarch after allegedly snatching a vehicle.
He said, “When we collected the motorbike, we saw the king on the road. We saw the king’s vehicle parked on the road and we stopped.
“So Obinna collected the king’s bag and put it inside the vehicle. When we reached Lagos, he dropped us off.
“We didn’t even know the king’s bag was inside the vehicle. The police, after arresting us, said they found the king’s money inside the vehicle.”
Ejike said the police were already tracking Obina, adding that he did not know his whereabouts.
He, however, admitted that another member of the gang, identified as Izuna, had a locally made explosive device, which was allegedly used during the operation.
“Izuna bought a banger and even the police discovered one of the bangers inside the car,” he said.
