Police Remain Silent Over Theft of Official Vehicle as Operatives Nab Beninese Fugitive

Linus Aleke in Abuja

The leadership of the Nigeria Police Force has opted for silence despite a trending report alleging the theft of an official vehicle attached to the Department of Operations at the Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House, Abuja.

Messages sent to the Force Spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, regarding the alleged car theft at the Force Headquarters were not responded to at the time of filing this report.

However, the trending report revealed that a Toyota Buffalo Land Cruiser was stolen from the premises of the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

Quoting an internal wireless message, the trending report stated that the Commissioner of Police (DFA, Katsina Command), relaying information from the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), confirmed that the vehicle — with chassis number JTELU71JX0B027126 and registration number NPF 5594 D — went missing on 28 July 2025. It was reported missing after being removed from the official parking lot.

Security operatives have been urged to treat the matter as very important and to report any leads that could aid recovery.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force National Central Bureau (NCB) of Interpol, in furtherance of its steadfast commitment to international law enforcement cooperation, has arrested and handed over a notorious Beninese fugitive to authorities of the Republic of Benin.

A statement by Force Spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, noted that Interpol Benin Republic had contacted Interpol Nigeria to arrest the fugitive in connection with a series of heinous crimes, including inter-border armed banditry, smuggling of firearms and ammunition, cattle rustling, and trafficking in illicit drugs.

The investigation, he said, revealed that seven members of his syndicate are already standing trial in Benin Republic, while he absconded into Nigeria in a bid to evade justice.

“Acting with precision and working on credible intelligence, operatives of the NPF NCB carried out a discreet operation that led to the arrest of the suspect in Idi Iroko Town, Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State. The fugitive was subsequently interrogated on his transnational criminal escapades and officially handed over to officials of NCB Cotonou,” Hundeyin said.

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, while commending the officers whose doggedness and professionalism made this feat possible, reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s resolute dedication to safeguarding the sovereignty of Nigeria, preserving the rule of law, and strengthening cooperation with international counterparts.

He emphasised that Nigeria will never serve as a safe haven for fugitives or purveyors of crime, no matter how highly placed or deeply networked.

The IGP further assured the Nigerian public, as well as the international community, of the Nigeria Police Force’s relentless pursuit of criminals, its steadfast partnership with global law enforcement agencies, and its firm commitment to ensuring peace, security, and justice for all.

In a related development, Hundeyin said that the FCT Police Command seized 68 bags of cannabis and apprehended multiple drug dealers during operations.

“This decisive action intensifies the fight against drug proliferation and substance abuse in the nation’s capital,” Hundeyin stated.

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    Family Seeks Justice as Police Detain Victim’s Parents in Ondo

    Family Seeks Justice as Police Detain Victim’s Parents in Ondo

    Fidelis David in Akure

    The family of Ifeoma Jesinta, a five-year-old girl kidnapped in Akure, Ondo State, trafficked to Onitsha in Anambra State and subsequently sold in Asaba, Delta State, for N3.7million has accused the Ondo State Police Command of compromising the investigation and shielding the culprits.

    The family, through their lawyer, Tope Temokun at a press conference in Akure yesterday explained that in a shocking and unlawful twist, the biological parents of the little child, Mrs. Nneka Onah and Mr. Ifeanyi Onah, who are victims seeking justice, have been detained in the police cell, apparently to intimidate and silence them.

    Particularly, the lawyer said the omission of Mrs. Happiness Sunday, (CEO of a popular restaurant in Akure) in connection with the crime, as the last person in whose custody the child was seen before disappearance, further confirms deliberate suppression of facts by the police.

    According to the family’s solicitors, the police in statement on the matter, dated September 25, 2025, was a “deliberate distortion of facts and a cover-up,” alleging that the police omitted crucial facts, suppressed significant leads, and misrepresented the timeline of events.

    He said: “From credible facts before us, the suspects have been arrested in Asaba and Onitsha in connection with the crime and have been transmitted to Akure, with the child. One of the suspects confessed to directly receiving the child from Akure and gave further leads on the chain of trafficking in the state.

    “Instead of following up on these vital leads to unravel the criminal syndicate and bring all perpetrators to justice, the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State has chosen a dangerous path of compromise, as betrayed in the police press statement dated September 25, 2025 (Ref. No. AZ:5280/ONS/PPRO/VOL.1/298), which is nothing less than a cover-up.

    “This is unacceptable. We condemn in the strongest terms this brazen attempt to shield the real culprits while oppressing the victims. The conduct of the Commissioner of Police is not only an abuse of office but also a betrayal of the sacred duty of the police to protect lives, ensure justice, and uphold the rule of law.

    “At the time of writing, Mrs. Nneka Onah, mother of the missing child, and Mr. Ifeanyi Onah, stepfather of the child, are held in unlawful custody, while there appears to be deliberate suppression of facts and obstruction of investigation by the Ondo State Police Command. This conduct is injurious not only to our clients but to the integrity of the justice system itself.”

    He claimed that the police position falsely represents the identity and parentage of the missing child, saying: “The child, Ifeoma Jesinta, is not the child of Sunday Kingsley and Sunday Happiness, but the biological daughter of Mrs. Nneka Onah and stepdaughter of Mr. Ifeanyi Onah.”

    He said the distortion was not a mere oversight but consistent with a broader pattern of deliberate suppression and alteration of critical facts which constitutes a grave breach of public trust and confidence in conducting transparent investigations.

    “This is a case of child-trafficking, which is a grave crime under the Nigerian law. We believe victims cannot lawfully be turned into accused persons or suspects, especially when there is already direct evidence linking known and traceable persons. The compromise of this case not only threatens justice for the child and her family but also emboldens traffickers and endangers other children,” he stated.

    The family’s solicitor said he has sent petitions to various authorities, including the Inspector-General of Police, the chairman of the Police Service Commission, and the Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), demanding an immediate and unconditional release of the parents, a thorough investigation, and the prompt arraignment of all culprits in court.

    ​  

    Fidelis David in Akure The family of Ifeoma Jesinta, a five-year-old girl kidnapped in Akure, Ondo State, trafficked to Onitsha in Anambra State and subsequently sold in Asaba, Delta State, for

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