POLICE SMASH NOTORIOUS ROBBERY GANG IN OGUN

​ABEOKUTA – The Ogun State Police Command has dealt a severe blow to the criminal underworld operating within the state capital and its environs. Through a series of coordinated, intelligence-led raids, operatives attached to the Anti-Robbery Squad of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, have successfully dismantled a notorious armed robbery and vehicle theft syndicate.

​The breakthroughs led to the arrest of three key suspects, including the alleged mastermind behind a string of car thefts, and the recovery of a stolen vehicle along with various incriminating exhibits.

​The suspects currently in police custody have been identified as Ismaila Israel Sokunbi, 38; Kayode Adeyemi, 37, who is believed to be the ringleader; and Kola Taiwo, 55.

​Failed Robbery Exposes Network

​The downfall of the syndicate began on May 22, 2026, following a botched armed robbery operation at the Oniyo Community in the Arokoje area of Obantoko, Abeokuta. At approximately 9:45 PM, gunmen ambushed a resident who was in the process of opening his residential gate, attempting to violently snatch his vehicle.

​The victim’s screams for help alerted neighbors, triggering a swift community response. Panic-stricken by the rising alarm, the robbers lost control of the stolen vehicle and crashed it into a nearby fence. With police operatives closing in on the scene, the criminals abandoned the damaged car and fled in a standby getaway vehicle.

​However, their escape was flawed. In their haste, one of the suspects dropped an Infinix mobile phone and a Wema Bank ATM card—items that proved to be the undoing of the entire network.

​The Paper Trail and Arrests

​Detectives from the Anti-Robbery Squad took over the recovered evidence, initiating a sophisticated telecommunications and data analysis. The digital footprint traced the ownership of the dropped items to Ismaila Israel Sokunbi.

​On May 26, 2026, police tracking teams closed in on Sokunbi, apprehending him during a targeted raid across the Oke-Jigbo and Isale Abese neighborhoods of Abeokuta. A subsequent search of his residence yielded an unusual assortment of suspected stolen goods and tools, including a brand-new ceiling fan, a gas cooker, multiple SIM cards and packs, mechanical tools, a commercial gas hose, and suspected charms.

​Under interrogation, Sokunbi’s confessions pointed detectives toward Oyo State, where the suspected kingpin, Kayode Adeyemi, was tracking closely. Adeyemi was later cornered and arrested in Ibadan.

​The duo has since confessed to the Obantoko robbery attempt and admitted to being part of a specialized ring that bypasses vehicle security by hotwiring ignition systems in Abeokuta and neighboring communities.

​Second Car Theft Ring Cracked

​In a parallel development, the Anti-Robbery Squad resolved a separate car theft case originally reported at the Odeda Police Station on May 18, 2026. The case involved a Toyota Corolla that had been stolen from where it was parked in Osiele.

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​Discreet investigations led to the arrest of 55-year-old Kola Taiwo and the successful recovery of the stolen Corolla.

​Police sources revealed that Taiwo is a specialist in master-key operations, using fabricated keys to break into parked vehicles seamlessly. He has also confessed to the previous theft of a green Toyota Camry within the same axis.

​Police Reassure Public

​The Commissioner of Police for Ogun State, CP Bode Ojajuni, praised the resilience and intelligence-driven tactics of the SCID operatives. He reiterated that the Command maintains a zero-tolerance policy for violent crimes and car theft, warning criminals that Ogun State will remain too hot for them to operate.

​While assuring residents of heightened security patrols, the police command urged the public to stay vigilant and utilize its emergency toll-free line, Gateway Shield (0800 000 9111), or distress lines (0906 283 7609, 0912 014 1706) to report suspicious movements.

​The suspects remain in custody and will face prosecution as soon as preliminary investigations are wrapped up.