Ogun police recover a stolen N45m Lexus SUV hours after its reported theft and arrest a suspect linked to an alleged plan to sell it in Benin Republic
The Ogun State Police Command has recovered a stolen Lexus 460 SUV valued at N45m and arrested a suspect allegedly involved in a plan to sell the vehicle in Cotonou, Benin Republic, for N10m.
The recovery followed a theft report received by detectives at the Agbado Divisional Police Headquarters on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at about 7pm.
The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Oluseyi Babaseyi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday, identifying the vehicle owner’s 28-year-old driver, Jeremiah Jacob Emmanuel, as the alleged principal suspect.
According to the police, preliminary investigations indicated that the driver had taken his employer to the office earlier in the day but later drove away with the black Lexus 460 SUV without authorisation.
The statement said Emmanuel allegedly claimed that his wife was indisposed before taking the vehicle to meet two other individuals, identified as 34-year-old Akeem Olawale and Monday Keshi, who is currently at large.
The police alleged that the suspects had arranged to transport the vehicle to Cotonou for sale at N10m, despite its estimated value of N45m.
Following the report, detectives immediately launched an operation to track the vehicle and apprehend those allegedly involved in the theft.
The operation resulted in the arrest of one suspect at Agbado Crossing at about 7pm on the same day, while the stolen Lexus was recovered.
Babaseyi said the arrested suspect allegedly admitted during preliminary investigations to being involved in the planned movement of the vehicle to Cotonou for sale.
The command said efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing accomplice, while the case would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation.
The Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, Bode Ojajuni, commended the detectives for their vigilance, swift response and professionalism in recovering the vehicle.
He reiterated the command’s commitment to intelligence-led policing, disrupting criminal networks and bringing those found responsible for criminal activities to justice.
The police also urged residents to report suspicious activities promptly and provide credible information that could assist investigations and security operations.
