Two Grandfathers Among Five Arrested Over Alleged Motorcycle Theft Syndicate in Calabar

Police smash interstate criminal network stealing motorcycles and tricycles from Akwa Ibom for resale in Cross River.

The Cross River State Police Command has arrested five suspects, including two grandfathers aged 75 and 60, in connection with an alleged interstate motorcycle and tricycle theft syndicate operating between Akwa Ibom and Cross River states. The suspects, identified as Okon Eyo Nsa, 75, and Essien Ukpong, 60, were allegedly part of a network that specialised in stealing motorcycles and tricycles from Akwa Ibom State and moving them to Cross River for sale. The younger members of the alleged gang were said to collect and drive the stolen vehicles to hidden locations, where prospective buyers were allegedly contacted, while the older suspects were responsible for linking up with buyers in Calabar and adjoining towns. The other suspects arrested include Archibong Archibong Nsa, 36; Nsa Essien Eyo, 24; and Effiong Archibong Sunday, 28. All five were apprehended by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) of the Cross River State Police Command following an intelligence-led operation directed by the Commissioner of Police, CP Ajo Geoffrey Ordue.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eitokpah Sunday Akata, the operation began with the arrest of 28-year-old Effiong Archibong Sunday on August 31, 2026, at about 2:00 pm. One motorcycle suspected to have been stolen was recovered from him during the arrest. During preliminary investigation, the suspect allegedly made statements implicating himself and mentioned one “Elewe” as being connected with the suspected network. The suspect further alleged that Elewe was responsible for stealing motorcycles and tricycles in Akwa Ibom and transferring them to a man identified as “Efefiong” in Cross River for onward sale. Police stressed that these allegations remain subject to further investigation and judicial determination. Acting on the information obtained, VCRU operatives conducted a follow-up operation at about 3:00 am on September 1, leading to the arrest of four additional suspects allegedly connected with the suspected receiving and distribution network. Searches conducted at locations linked to the suspects, in accordance with applicable legal procedures, resulted in the recovery of three tricycles and one motorcycle suspected to have been stolen. Together with the motorcycle recovered during the initial arrest, the operation has so far yielded a total of five vehicles: three tricycles and two motorcycles. The command said the ownership and status of the recovered vehicles are currently being verified.

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The state Commissioner of Police, CP Ajo Geoffrey Ordue, commended the VCRU operatives for what he described as their prompt and professional response. He reaffirmed his commitment to lawful, intelligence-led operations and strategic surveillance aimed at dismantling criminal syndicates across the state. CP Ordue warned persons involved in the theft, receiving, concealment or sale of stolen vehicles that the command would pursue all credible leads and take appropriate legal action against anyone found culpable. “I want to warn anybody or persons involved in the theft, receiving, concealment or sale of stolen vehicles that the Command would pursue all credible leads and take appropriate legal action against persons found culpable,” he stated. The Commissioner also urged motorcycle and tricycle owners and operators to promptly report thefts and provide credible information to assist the police in recovering stolen property and dismantling criminal networks. He cautioned members of the public against resorting to self-help, conducting unlawful searches or harassing persons suspected of criminal activity.

The command said further investigation was ongoing to establish the ownership and provenance of the recovered vehicles, identify other persons connected with the alleged offences and determine the full extent of the suspected network. The police stressed that the suspects remain innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Two Grandfathers Among Five Arrested Over Alleged Motorcycle Theft Syndicate in Calabar

Ogun Pastor Dies in Crash Hours After Allegedly Killing Wife in Domestic Dispute

CCC evangelist Abidemi Odukoya allegedly beat his wife to death before dying in a road accident while fleeing the scene in Ogun State.

The Ogun State community of Akinode/Ibogun has been thrown into mourning following the tragic deaths of a Celestial Church of Christ evangelist, Abidemi Odukoya, and his wife, Adenike, who died hours apart under circumstances linked to an alleged domestic violence incident.

The couple, who resided within the church premises of CCC Dews of Heaven Parish, also known as Iri Orun, were reportedly involved in a heated argument that escalated into a physical confrontation in the early hours of Monday, August 25, 2026. According to police sources, the incident was reported at approximately 2:00 am on August 31, 2026.

During the altercation, which occurred around 3:00 am, Adenike Odukoya allegedly sustained severe head injuries after her husband reportedly hit her against a wall, leaving her unconscious. Their son immediately raised the alarm, prompting neighbours and members of the local Community Development Association to rush to the scene in a desperate attempt to provide emergency assistance.

A former Chairman of the Community Development Association, Adejimi Olawumi, described the harrowing discovery in a video shared by Arole TV. He recounted being alerted by residents’ cries for help around 1:00 am. “On my way out, I saw Daniel. I asked him what happened, and he said it was his mum and dad,” Olawumi said. “Immediately, we got inside the house and saw the wife in a pool of blood. At that time, there were no vehicles to take her to the hospital. The son said he did not see what happened between his mum and dad because he was in the other room.”

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Despite the neighbours’ efforts to save her, Adenike Odukoya was pronounced dead at the scene. Her remains were evacuated and deposited at the Ifo General Hospital morgue for post-mortem examination. She was laid to rest at the family residence later that day, at approximately 2:00 pm.

After discovering that his wife was unresponsive, Evangelist Odukoya allegedly fled the residence. While residents were still grappling with the shocking discovery, another grim report emerged at approximately 6:00 am. The community received word that a man’s body had been found along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, in the Iyana Coker area of Ifo.

CDA officials who went to the location confirmed that the deceased was Evangelist Odukoya. He had reportedly been struck by an oncoming vehicle on the busy highway. Some eyewitness accounts alleged that the evangelist deliberately stepped into the path of an oncoming Dangote cement truck, but this claim has not been independently confirmed and remains under investigation. Detectives later visited the morgue where the unidentified body from the accident had been deposited. Photographs were taken and used for identification, after which investigators confirmed that the deceased was the man suspected of killing his wife.

The late evangelist’s younger sister, in a separate video circulating online, claimed that the couple had a history of repeated disagreements. She said the couple had visited her around April following an earlier altercation, which was eventually resolved at a police station. She recounted: “I have been hearing that they have been fighting for a while now. Around April, they came to my house. He explained everything about how he and his wife fought, and that it was at the police station they settled it. I only told them to be patient with each other because it is not right for a husband and wife to fight against each other. They had been fighting for a very long time, and people helped them settle it. And now we just heard that the husband and wife are dead.”

The wife was reportedly buried on the day of the incident, while Odukoya was buried on Wednesday, September 2. In separate footage seen by PUNCH Metro, some clerics were seen performing burial rites over the remains of the evangelist at an undisclosed location. The family of the deceased woman has reportedly approached the police, requesting the release of her remains for burial.

When contacted, the deputy spokesman for the Ogun State Police Command, Opeyemi Oluborode, confirmed the incident and said investigations are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding both deaths. “The police is investigating the incident,” he added. The double tragedy has plunged the couple’s family, church members, and the surrounding community into mourning as authorities work to unravel what happened in the early hours of that fateful morning.

Ogun Pastor Dies in Crash Hours After Allegedly Killing Wife in Domestic Dispute

Edo Police Arrest Cleric Accused of Making ‘Protective Charms’ for Kidnap Gangs

Edo Police Command parades 52-year-old cleric alongside four kidnap suspects, as investigation reveals ties to cross-state criminal operations.

The Edo State Police Command has arrested a 52-year-old Islamic teacher, Jubril Ibrahim, for allegedly preparing charms and spiritual protections for a kidnapping syndicate operating across the Edo North Senatorial District and beyond. Ibrahim was paraded on Tuesday at the command headquarters in Benin City, alongside four suspected kidnappers and six other suspects arrested for various crimes, including child theft and vehicle theft. Commissioner of Police, Patrick Daor, confirmed that the suspected kidnappers were apprehended in Niger State following an intelligence-led operation by police operatives. He said the syndicate had been responsible for a series of abductions in communities including Auchi, Jattu, and Okpella, where they targeted wealthy residents and demanded ransom payments.

While being paraded, Ibrahim strongly denied preparing charms for the kidnappers. Speaking through a Hausa interpreter, he explained that he is a Qur’anic teacher who gathers Almajiri students to teach Islamic scripture. He said that Ahmadu Suleiman’s mother came to him and asked him to pray for her son because he travels a lot, so he has been praying for his safe trip to and from, and that is what he has been doing. However, when asked whether he was aware that Suleiman possessed an AK-47 rifle, Ibrahim admitted he knew the suspect carried a gun, but maintained that he was not involved in any criminal activity.

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Ahmadu Suleiman, 24, one of the principal suspects, confessed to participating in a kidnapping operation in Auchi, giving a chilling account of how the gang operated. Speaking through an interpreter, Suleiman explained that when they get to the community, they look for a beautiful house and shoot into the air, and in the process of people scampering for their lives, they run out, and the gang holds them and takes them to the bush and demands money. He admitted to receiving ₦1 million from the Auchi operation, though he claimed that was the only kidnapping he participated in within that area. He also revealed that he had worked with different kidnapping syndicates across Nigeria and always returned to his base in Niger State after operations. When asked whether the group used informants within communities, Suleiman said they did not, adding that they instead identified targets by looking for expensive cars and large buildings.

In addition to the kidnapping suspects, police paraded a 21-year-old suspect allegedly involved in the theft of a baby at Ring Road, Benin City. A stolen vehicle was also recovered by the command during the operations. Police Public Relations Officer, Eno Ikoedem, said the arrests were made possible through actionable intelligence gathered by police operatives. She urged members of the public to continue supporting law enforcement by providing credible information that can help prevent crime and bring criminals to justice. Commissioner Daor added that all suspects would be charged in court upon completion of investigations.

Edo Police Arrest Cleric Accused of Making ‘Protective Charms’ for Kidnap Gangs