The Ekiti State Police Command has arrested three suspects over alleged motorcycle theft and recovered seven motorcycles believed to have been stolen during coordinated operations across Ado Ekiti, Ido Ekiti and Ilogbo Ekiti.
The command said the arrests followed an intelligence-led operation carried out by operatives of its Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), leading to the recovery of the motorcycles and the disruption of a suspected motorcycle theft network.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Sunday Abutu, identified the suspects as Mustapha Lekan, 38, from Osun State, and Blessing Adebiyi and Ogunbayo Adebiyi, who were allegedly receiving stolen motorcycles.
According to Abutu, the operation began after police received credible intelligence that a suspect had stolen a red Bajaj motorcycle near Olaoluwa Muslim Grammar School in Ado Ekiti and was fleeing through the Ilawe Road area.
Operatives on stop-and-search duty intercepted the suspect after a brief chase and recovered the stolen motorcycle.
Police said the suspect later confessed to stealing two motorcycles within Ado Ekiti, leading detectives to Ilogbo Ekiti and Ido Ekiti, where two suspected receivers of stolen motorcycles were arrested.
The operation resulted in the recovery of six additional suspected stolen motorcycles, bringing the total number recovered to seven.
The police said investigations are ongoing to identify the owners of the motorcycles and apprehend other members of the suspected criminal network.
The suspects are expected to be charged in court after investigations are concluded.
Commending the operatives, the Commissioner of Police, Michael Falade, praised their professionalism and swift response, reaffirming the command’s commitment to intelligence-led policing.
He also appealed to residents to continue providing timely and credible information to assist security agencies in tackling crime across the state.
The command warned criminal elements to desist from unlawful activities, stressing that anyone found violating the law would be prosecuted.
