Police in Ogun State have recovered a stolen 2016 Toyota Camry from a hotel in Ifo less than eight hours after it was reported missing.

The Ogun State Police Command said it arrested one person in connection with the incident, while efforts are continuing to apprehend another suspect who fled the scene.

The vehicle reportedly belonged to an Indian national based at the Ilupeju Industrial Estate in Lagos.

Driver allegedly disappears with car

According to the police, the vehicle was allegedly stolen on 9 September 2026 by the owner’s driver, identified as Waidi Olaide Kolawale.

Police said Kolawale had been employed only two days before the incident.

He allegedly told his employer that he was taking the Toyota Camry to a nearby vulcaniser to repair a tyre but did not return with the vehicle.

After the report was made, the vehicle was electronically tracked to the Ifo area in Ogun State.

The information was passed to the Divisional Police Officer of Ifo Division, CSP Kamorudeen Olabisi, who deployed surveillance and anti-robbery officers.

Police track car to Ifo hotel

The officers followed the vehicle through several locations before locating it at a hotel in Ifo at about 8:30pm, the police said.

Police said Kolawale fled after seeing the officers, taking the ignition key with him.

His alleged accomplice, identified as Monday Adetunji, was arrested at the hotel.

A preliminary investigation reportedly found that the suspects had approached a mechanic to remove the vehicle’s catalytic converter, commonly referred to as a catalyst.

The mechanic allegedly refused to carry out the request, according to the police.

Police intensify search for fleeing suspect

The recovered Toyota Camry has been secured by the police, while investigators are working to arrest Kolawale and establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged theft.

The command described the recovery as an example of its use of electronic tracking, intelligence gathering and rapid police deployment to respond to reported crimes.

However, the allegations have not been tested in court, and the suspects are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, commended the Ifo officers for what he described as their professionalism, vigilance and swift response.

He also reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across the state.

Also Read: NDLEA Intercepts Colorado Shipments from UK, Finds Opioids in Bread, Speakers 

Police advise vehicle owners, hoteliers

The command urged vehicle owners to consider reliable tracking devices and additional anti-theft measures, including steering and tyre locks.

It also advised members of the public to carry out due diligence before giving people access to vehicles, homes or businesses.

Hoteliers were urged to strengthen guest and vehicle verification procedures, keep accurate records and report suspicious people, vehicles or activities to the police.

The command said suspicious activities can be reported through its Gateway Shield toll-free line, 0800 000 9111, or 09164859299 and 09154293464.

Why the recovery matters

The incident highlights how vehicle-tracking technology can assist police investigations when stolen vehicles are reported quickly.

It also underscores the importance of verifying employees and other people entrusted with access to valuable property.

For vehicle owners, prompt reporting, functioning tracking devices and basic anti-theft measures can provide additional layers of protection.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has intercepted shipments of synthetic cannabis, known locally as Colorado or “Colos”, from the United Kingdom and recovered more than 2.3 tonnes of assorted illicit drugs in operations across several Nigerian states.

The agency said two UK-linked consignments containing 44.45kg of Colorado were intercepted in Lagos, while two other consignments of the drug were allegedly concealed inside music speakers at motor parks in the state.

Several suspects, including a real estate agent and a 70-year-old woman, were arrested in connection with the operations, the NDLEA said.

The raids and interceptions were carried out in Lagos, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Kaduna, Plateau, Bayelsa and Kano states, according to a statement issued on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, the agency’s director of media and advocacy.

Colorado shipments intercepted in Lagos

At the import shed of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, NDLEA operatives intercepted a consignment from the UK containing 27 parcels of Colorado weighing 32.20kg, the agency said.

A real estate agent, Abideen Jide Salami, was subsequently arrested on Wednesday, September 9, after allegedly arriving to collect a large luggage containing the drug.

The NDLEA said Salami had a collection code which had been sent to him by his brother based in the UK.

A follow-up investigation into another UK consignment led to the arrest of Nurudeen Abiodun Kadiri, 44, who allegedly received another 12.25kg shipment of Colorado.

The agency said Kadiri told investigators that his brother in the UK sent him the consignment.

The claims against the suspects have not been independently tested in court.

Drugs hidden inside music speakers

The NDLEA said its Directorate of Operations and General Investigation intercepted another consignment of Colorado concealed inside a music speaker at a motor park in Maza Maza, Lagos.

The consignment was allegedly headed for Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and ultimately Liberia.

A tour agent, Ifeanyi Obed Augustine, 41, and the alleged owner of the consignment, Obasi Ugochuckwu, 46, were arrested during a sting operation at a nearby eatery, according to the agency.

At Iddo Park, another suspect, Ifeanyi Nwokolo Henry, was arrested on Friday, September 11, while allegedly attempting to dispatch 2.1kg of Colorado to Kano.

Large drug haul recovered in Kano, Plateau

In Kano, NDLEA operatives raided a location in Sabon Gari and arrested 20-year-old Saidu Adamu, recovering 785,000 capsules of pregabalin weighing 669.425kg, the agency said.

A separate stop-and-search operation along the Zaria-Kano-Hadejia road resulted in the seizure of 1,700 diazepam tablets allegedly concealed inside loaves of bread.

The tablets were recovered from Habibu Sabitu, 28, according to the NDLEA.

In Plateau State, a 51-year-old man, Chinedu Uzor, was arrested at Katako Market in Jos with 157,100 capsules of tramadol, the agency added.

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Cannabis farms destroyed in Edo

The NDLEA also reported renewed operations against cannabis cultivation.

It said officers destroyed 4,832.56kg of cannabis, known as skunk, during raids on farms in Usen Forest, Igwe-Oke Forest and Ogboha Forest in Ovia South West, Owan East and Owan West local government areas of Edo State.

A 39-year-old suspect, Sunday Segun, was arrested during the operation on Friday, September 11.

In Ondo State, officers acting on intelligence raided a residence along Oke-Iya, Ijoka Road, Akure.

The agency said 186kg of skunk was found inside the boot of a Toyota Avalon, registration number ABJ 917 FV, allegedly belonging to 58-year-old Paul Ogbuwala.

The NDLEA said Ogbuwala was planning to move the cannabis to Jos for onward distribution.

More arrests in Kaduna, Bayelsa

In Kaduna State, a woman identified as Hannah Michael was arrested at Gonin Gora with 369.6kg of cannabis, according to the agency.

Four suspects were also arrested at Ovom in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, where 110 bags of cannabis weighing 876kg were recovered.

The suspects were identified as 70-year-old Godwoman Gboriye, Motombo Silver, 44, Pere Andrew, 39, and Keme Andrew, 43.

The NDLEA did not provide details of the specific charges filed against the suspects in the statement.

Delta operations uncover opioids

In Delta State, separate operations in Ughelli and Asaba resulted in the seizure of several controlled substances, including pentazocine injections, codeine syrup, tramadol, diazepam, flunitrazepam, also known as Hypnox, and MDMA, popularly called Molly.

The agency said some of the drugs were concealed inside music speakers.

Two suspects, Emeka Oji and Chukwuebuka Anedi, were arrested in connection with the seizures.

NDLEA urges continued pressure on drug networks

NDLEA chairman and chief executive officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended officers involved in the operations and urged them to maintain what he described as a balanced approach to drug control.

He specifically called for continued action at airports, seaports, land borders and in areas where cannabis is cultivated.

The agency also said its commands continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) awareness campaigns during the week.

The activities included an enlightenment lecture for students and staff of Mezube Islamiyya Academy in Tudun Wada, Kano; an advocacy visit to the Cross River State College of Health Technology in Calabar; and a visit by traditional rulers from Rikkos to the NDLEA Academy in Jos.

The NDLEA Zone 4 Command also visited the Emir of Keffi, Alhaji Shehu Chindo Yamusa III, in Nasarawa State as part of its WADA advocacy activities.

What the seizures mean

The latest operations highlight the range of methods drug enforcement agencies face, from international cargo shipments to drugs allegedly hidden in everyday items such as speakers and loaves of bread.

The NDLEA has increasingly combined airport and border interceptions with raids in communities and cannabis-producing areas as part of its wider drug-control campaign.

However, arrests and seizures represent allegations and investigations; suspects remain entitled to due process and are presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a court.

Police in Ogun State have arrested a 28-year-old man suspected of being a vehicle theft kingpin and recovered a Toyota Camry allegedly stolen from Ojoo in Lagos.

The suspect, identified as Mosuru Issa, was arrested on Friday, 11 September, after police operatives stopped the wine-coloured car during a patrol and stop-and-search operation along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway around Mowe.

According to the Ogun State Police Command, three people were in the vehicle when officers flagged it down for a security check.

The occupants allegedly abandoned the car and fled in different directions after seeing the police.

Officers pursued them and arrested Mr Issa, who the police said resides on Osungboye Street in Agege, Lagos State. The other two occupants remain at large.

Police trace car to alleged theft in Lagos

Preliminary investigation showed that the vehicle was allegedly stolen on 7 September from where it was parked in Ojoo, Lagos State, the police said.

The recovered vehicle has been secured while efforts are being made to identify and reunite it with its owner.

The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation.

Police said they are also working to identify and arrest the fleeing suspects.

“Efforts are ongoing to locate the vehicle’s owner and apprehend the fleeing accomplices.”

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Why the arrest matters

The arrest highlights how routine patrols and stop-and-search operations can help police detect suspected criminal activity on major highways.

The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is a major route linking Lagos and other parts of south-western Nigeria, making security along the corridor important for motorists and communities that depend on the road.

The police said the operation demonstrated the importance of proactive policing in recovering stolen property and preventing suspects from using Ogun’s highways as escape routes.

However, the allegations against Issa have not been tested in court. Police investigations are continuing, and the fleeing suspects have not been arrested.

Police urge vehicle owners to improve security

The Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, CP Bode Ojajuni, commended the officers involved in the operation.

He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to proactive policing and sustained operations against vehicle theft, highway crime and other criminal activities across the state.

The command also urged residents to report suspicious activities through its Gateway Shield Toll-Free Line: 0800 000 9111, or the emergency numbers 09164859299 and 09154293464.

Vehicle owners were advised to use basic anti-theft measures, including tyre locks, steering locks and other appropriate security devices, especially when parking in public or unsecured areas.

What happens next

The investigation has now moved to the SCID in Eleweran, where police are expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged theft, determine the roles of the suspects and trace the vehicle’s owner.

The police said efforts to arrest the two fleeing occupants are continuing.