Lagos police arrest highway robbery gang suspects

Suspected members of a highway robbery gang, including 32-year-old Ejike Ani and Chubuzor Anasihwe, have detailed how they formed a criminal group after meeting while serving prison sentences at the Kirikiri correctional facility.

The suspects were apprehended by the Lagos State Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit following investigations into robberies occurring along the Ife-Ilesha Expressway in Osun State. Lagos State Commissioner of Police Fatai Tijani stated that preliminary investigations link the group to incidents on August 20 and September 20, 2026, involving the theft of approximately ₦50 million in valuables and the snatching of five vehicles. One reported attack also targeted a monarch, resulting in the theft of a crown and other valuables.

During questioning, Ani, a former clothes seller from Ebonyi State, cited financial hardship, mounting debts, and his mother’s medical expenses as motivations for his involvement in the gang. He claimed his previous imprisonment in 2021 resulted from an incident involving a firearm he was allegedly unaware was being transported.