......Recovered 28-Seater Toyota Coaster Was Allegedly Being Smuggled Into Benin Republic
By Our Correspondent
ABEOKUTA, June 13, 2026 – Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have thwarted an alleged cross-border vehicle trafficking operation and arrested two suspects who were reportedly attempting to smuggle a stolen company bus into the Republic of Benin for illegal sale.
The suspects, identified as Seun Lawal, 46, a company driver, and Ademola Oriyomi, 38, his guarantor, were apprehended by officers attached to the Idiroko Divisional Headquarters following an intelligence-led operation that led to the recovery of a stolen 28-seater Toyota Coaster bus.
According to the Ogun State Police Command, the operation was carried out by a team led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), CSP Adejuwon Ariyo, after credible intelligence revealed that the suspects had positioned the vehicle in the Babaloke area of Idiroko and were preparing to move it across the international border under false pretences.
Police sources disclosed that the information was received at about 11:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 12, prompting an immediate response from the DPO and his operatives.
The surveillance team reportedly tracked the suspects to the location and intercepted them while they were allegedly executing the plan to move the vehicle out of Nigeria.
In a dramatic turn of events, police operatives were said to have immobilised the bus by shooting one of its tyres, thereby preventing its escape into neighbouring Benin Republic.
The swift action resulted in the arrest of the two suspects and the successful recovery of the vehicle, which had earlier been declared stolen from Lagos.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Lawal, who worked as the driver of the company-owned vehicle, allegedly conspired with Oriyomi to steal and sell the bus across the border.
Investigators further disclosed that both suspects admitted during interrogation that they intended to use proceeds from the illegal sale to facilitate their relocation after completing the transaction.
Police authorities stated that the suspects remain in custody while further investigations continue to determine whether they are connected to a larger network of cross-border vehicle theft syndicates operating within the region.
Reacting to the successful operation, the Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, CP Bode Ojajuni, commended the professionalism and vigilance displayed by CSP Ariyo and the officers of the Idiroko Division.
He described the operation as a clear demonstration of the effectiveness of intelligence-driven policing and the command's commitment to combating trans-border crimes.
"The timely intervention of our operatives ensured the interception, demobilisation and recovery of the stolen vehicle before it could be moved outside the country," the commissioner stated.
Ojajuni reaffirmed the command's determination to strengthen border security operations and deny criminal elements any safe haven within Ogun State and its border communities.
He also urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies, stressing that public cooperation remains vital in the fight against crime.
The latest arrest comes amid intensified efforts by security agencies to curb vehicle theft, smuggling and other transnational crimes along Nigeria's western border corridors.
