one suspect arrested as police track down alleged receivers of stolen motorcycles
The Ekiti State Police Command has recorded another breakthrough in its fight against crime with the arrest of a suspected motorcycle thief, two suspected receivers of stolen property and the recovery of seven motorcycles believed to have been stolen across the state.
The operation was carried out on Saturday, July 18, 2026, by operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) following credible intelligence.
Police said the operatives were on stop-and-search duty along Ilawe Road in Ado-Ekiti at about 2:00 p.m. when they received information that a suspect had stolen a red Bajaj motorcycle around Olaoluwa Muslim Grammar School and was escaping through Ilawe Road.
The officers quickly swung into action, spotted the motorcycle and chased the suspect before successfully arresting him. The suspect was identified as 38-year-old Mustapha Lekan from Osun State. The stolen motorcycle was immediately recovered.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly confessed to stealing two motorcycles within Ado-Ekiti, leading detectives to launch further investigations into the criminal network.
The investigation later took police operatives to Ilogbo-Ekiti and Ido-Ekiti, where two suspected receivers of stolen motorcycles, identified as Adebiyi Blessing and Ogunbayo Adebiyi, were arrested.
Police also recovered six more motorcycles suspected to have been stolen, bringing the total number of recovered motorcycles to seven.
The Command said investigations are still ongoing to identify the rightful owners of the recovered motorcycles and arrest other members of the suspected theft syndicate who are still on the run.
Commissioner of Police, CP Falade Adegoroye Michael, praised the VCRU operatives for their swift response, professionalism and commitment to protecting lives and property across the state.
He assured residents that the Command would continue intelligence-led operations to flush out criminal elements and make Ekiti State unsafe for criminals.
The Commissioner also appealed to members of the public to continue providing timely and useful information to assist security agencies in tackling crime, adding that all suspects will be charged to court after investigations are concluded.
