Ekiti police intercept motorcycle theft syndicate, recover seven motorcycles
By Boye Oyeyemi
The Ekiti State Police Command has arrested a suspected serial motorcycle thief and two alleged receivers of stolen motorcycles, recovering seven motorcycles believed to have been stolen from different parts of the state.
The command said operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit made the arrests on Saturday after acting on credible intelligence following the theft of a red Bajaj motorcycle in the Olaoluwa Muslim Grammar School area of Ado-Ekiti.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Sunday Abutu, said the suspect allegedly fled towards the Ilawe Road axis after stealing the motorcycle, prompting officers on stop-and-search duty to launch a swift pursuit.
Abutu said the officers intercepted and arrested the suspect, identified as 38-year-old Mustapha Lekan from Osun State, while the stolen motorcycle was recovered from him.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly confessed to stealing two motorcycles within Ado-Ekiti. Police sources also disclosed that further investigation led operatives to Ilogbo-Ekiti and Ido-Ekiti, where two suspected receivers, Adebiyi Blessing and Ogunbayo Adebiyi, were arrested.
“Six additional motorcycles suspected to have been stolen were recovered from the two suspects, bringing the total number of recovered motorcycles to seven,” the police spokesman said.
Reacting, the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Falade Adegoroye Michael, commended the operatives for their prompt response and professionalism, reaffirming the command’s commitment to intelligence-driven policing. “We remain determined to rid Ekiti State of criminal elements and encourage residents to continue providing timely and credible information to the police,” he said.
Falade added that investigation was ongoing to identify the rightful owners of the recovered motorcycles and track down other members of the suspected criminal network, assuring that the suspects would be prosecuted after the investigation is concluded.
