The Ogun State Police Command has recovered a stolen 2016 Toyota Camry from a hotel in Ifo, less than eight hours after the vehicle was reported missing.
The operation, carried out by operatives of the Ifo Divisional Police Headquarters, also led to the arrest of one suspect, while the police intensified efforts to apprehend another suspect who reportedly escaped from the scene.
The vehicle, said to belong to an Indian national operating from the Ilupeju Industrial Estate in Lagos, was allegedly stolen on September 9, 2026, by the owner’s newly employed driver, identified as Waidi Olaide Kolawale.
According to the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, Kolawale had been employed only two days before the incident and reportedly told his employer that he was taking the vehicle to a nearby vulcaniser to repair a faulty tyre.
He allegedly failed to return with the vehicle, prompting the owner to report the incident. Electronic tracking subsequently located the Toyota Camry within the Ifo axis.
The information was immediately relayed to the Divisional Police Officer, Ifo Division, CSP Kamorudeen Olabisi, who analysed the intelligence and deployed surveillance and anti robbery operatives to track the vehicle.
The operatives followed the vehicle through several locations before locating it at a hotel in Ifo at about 8:30 p.m. Kolawale allegedly fled on sighting the police, taking the vehicle’s ignition key with him, while his alleged accomplice, Monday Adetunji, was arrested.
Preliminary investigation, according to the Command, indicated that the suspects had allegedly approached a mechanic to remove the vehicle’s catalyst. The mechanic, however, reportedly declined to carry out the job.
The vehicle has been recovered and secured, while police investigations continue to apprehend the fleeing suspect and establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged theft. Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, CP Bode Ojajuni, commended the Ifo operatives for their swift response, vigilance and professionalism.
The Command urged vehicle owners to deploy reliable tracking devices and additional security measures, including steering and tyre locks, while advising members of the public to exercise due diligence when entrusting vehicles and property to others. It also urged hoteliers to verify guests and vehicles and report suspicious activities through the Gateway Shield toll free line, 0800 000 9111, or 09164859299 and 09154293464.