The suspects were arrested at separate locations in Lagos by operatives of the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit following months of investigation.
The Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, disclosed this on Friday, October 16, 2026, saying preliminary investigations linked the suspects to robbery incidents allegedly carried out on August 20 and September 20, 2026.
According to him, the arrests followed a directive by the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to intensify the nationwide crackdown on criminal activities.
Tijani said investigations revealed that the suspects first met while serving prison sentences at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre in Lagos and reunited after their release.
Ani, an indigene of Ebonyi State and a former clothes seller, reportedly attributed his alleged involvement in the robberies to financial hardship, mounting debts and the cost of his mother’s medical treatment.
He said he returned to his village after his release from prison in January 2026 but became frustrated by his inability to raise the N800,000 needed for his mother’s eye surgery and repay outstanding debts.
Ani claimed he subsequently contacted a former prison acquaintance identified as Chinedu, who invited him to Lagos and introduced him to other alleged members of the gang.
According to his account, the gang initially abandoned a robbery attempt after motorists were alerted to their presence. However, they later returned to the highway and allegedly dispossessed three men who were assisting occupants of a broken-down vehicle of a Toyota Corolla, mobile phones and cash.
He further alleged that the gang later hijacked a bus during heavy rainfall and robbed a vehicle belonging to a traditional ruler.
Ani claimed the monarch and his driver escaped, while the gang made away with valuables from the vehicle.
He also alleged that he received only N20,000 in two separate payments as his share of the proceeds from one of the operations.
Ani further claimed that members of the gang sometimes used sticks wrapped in sellotape and fireworks to mimic firearms during their operations.
Anasihwe, who also previously sold clothes on Lagos Island, said he met Ani in prison while serving a sentence following a fight involving two passengers during his time as a commercial motorcyclist.
He said they reunited in Ijora after their release and subsequently took part in a robbery operation.
However, Anasihwe denied participating in the robbery involving the traditional ruler, claiming he had already been arrested before the incident occurred.
The police said investigations were ongoing to establish the individual roles of the suspects in the alleged robberies.
