Detectives attached to the Agbado Division of the Ogun State Police Command have recovered a stolen black Lexus 460 SUV valued at ₦45 million within hours of its theft, arresting one suspect and foiling an alleged plot to sell the vehicle across the border in Cotonou, Benin Republic, for ₦10 million.
In a statement issued on Friday, November 13, 2026, the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, disclosed that the operation followed a distress report received around 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 12, 2026, regarding the disappearance of the vehicle.
According to preliminary police investigations, the car owner’s 28-year-old driver, Jeremiah Jacob Emmanuel, had driven his employer to the office earlier that day before absconding with the SUV without authorisation, using his wife’s alleged illness as a pretext.
Investigators revealed that Emmanuel subsequently met with two alleged accomplices, 34-year-old Akeem Olawale and Monday Keshi, to arrange the smuggling and quick sale of the ₦45 million vehicle in Cotonou at a giveaway price of ₦10 million.
Acting on the report, Agbado detectives launched an immediate manhunt, intercepting and recovering the stolen Lexus SUV at Agbado Crossing around 7:00 p.m. the same evening, alongside the arrest of one of the suspects.
DSP Babaseyi noted that the apprehended suspect has already confessed to his role in the plot to move the vehicle to Benin Republic, while a manhunt is actively underway to track down the fleeing accomplice. The case is set to be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation and prosecution.
Commending the operatives for their swift and professional response, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, reiterated the Command’s resolve to dismantle criminal syndicates through intelligence-led policing and urged residents to continue supporting security efforts with timely, credible information.
