The Ebonyi State Police Command has arrested a suspect linked to a three-man syndicate involved in car theft across Nigeria. The suspect, identified as Chibuike Solomon, was apprehended while allegedly attempting to sell a stolen vehicle in the state.
According to the spokesperson for the command, Superintendent Joshua Ukandu, the arrest was made by operatives who had been tracking the syndicate’s activities. The breakthrough occurred on May 15, 2025, following an intelligence-led operation.
Ukandu noted, “Solomon was apprehended while attempting to sell a vehicle by officers of the command.” He added that the vehicle in question had been reported stolen from a private school in Abuja back in March. It was originally used as a school bus before being illegally re-registered under Solomon’s name.
Authorities believe the car theft group specializes in stealing vehicles from various parts of the country and rebranding them to avoid detection. Investigations revealed that the stolen bus was already bearing new registration details at the time of recovery.
In the course of the operation, police officers also found military camouflage uniforms at the suspect’s location in the Idembia community of Ezza South Local Government Area. This discovery has raised concerns that the group may have been using the uniforms to evade law enforcement or commit crimes disguised as security personnel.
The state police command has launched a manhunt for the remaining two members of the syndicate. Superintendent Ukandu noted that efforts are ongoing to apprehend them and bring the entire group to justice.
The Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi, CP Adaku Uche-Anya, urged vehicle owners across Nigeria to register their cars using the Nigeria Police Force’s digitised Central Motor Registry (E-CMR). “The registration will facilitate the tracking and flagging of stolen vehicles,” Ukandu said.
