Police Arrest Two Ex-Convicts Over Alleged ₦50m Highway Robb3ries

Two former convicts have been arrested by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command over their alleged involvement in a series of highway robberies along the Ife-Ilesha Expressway in Osun State, where five vehicles and other valuables worth an estimated ₦50 million were reportedly stolen.

The suspects, identified as Ekjike Ani, 32, and Chubuzor Anasihwe, 31, were apprehended at separate locations in Lagos by operatives of the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit following months of investigation into the alleged criminal activities.
The Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, disclosed the arrests on Friday, October 16, 2026, stating that preliminary investigations had linked the suspects to robbery incidents allegedly carried out on August 20 and September 20, 2026.
The police commissioner reportedly said the operation followed a directive by the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to strengthen efforts to combat criminal activities across the country.
During interrogation, the suspects allegedly disclosed that they first met while serving prison sentences at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre in Lagos before reconnecting after their release.
Ani, an indigene of Ebonyi State who previously worked as a clothes seller, reportedly attributed his alleged involvement in the robberies to financial difficulties, mounting debts and the cost of his mother’s medical treatment.
He explained that he returned to his hometown after leaving prison in January 2026 but struggled to raise approximately ₦800,000 for his mother’s eye surgery while also attempting to settle outstanding debts.
Ani allegedly said he later contacted a former prison acquaintance identified as Chinedu, who invited him to Lagos and introduced him to other individuals suspected of participating in the robbery operations.
According to his account, the group initially abandoned an attempted robbery after motorists became aware of their presence. However, they allegedly returned to the highway and attacked three men who had stopped to assist occupants of a broken-down vehicle, dispossessing them of a Toyota Corolla, mobile phones and cash.
He further alleged that the group subsequently stole a bus during heavy rainfall and targeted a vehicle belonging to a traditional ruler, whose identity was not disclosed in the account.
Ani claimed the monarch and his driver managed to escape, while members of the alleged gang took valuables from the vehicle. He also reportedly stated that his share of the proceeds from one of the operations amounted to just ₦20,000, paid in two instalments.
The suspect further alleged that members of the group sometimes used sticks wrapped in adhesive tape and fireworks to imitate firearms during their operations.
Anasihwe, who reportedly also worked as a clothes seller on Lagos Island, said he met Ani while serving a prison sentence arising from a confrontation with two passengers during his time as a commercial motorcyclist.
He allegedly explained that they reconnected in the Ijora area of Lagos after their release and later participated in a robbery operation.
However, Anasihwe denied involvement in the alleged robbery involving the traditional ruler, claiming he had already been arrested before that incident occurred.
The Lagos State Police Command is continuing its investigation to establish the individual roles of the suspects in the alleged robberies and determine whether other members of the suspected gang were involved.
The suspects’ arrest comes amid renewed efforts by security agencies to tackle highway robbery and other criminal activities across the country.