The Edo State Police Command has arrested two sexagenarians and a female for the alleged stealing of Toyota Camry 2.4 cars valued at N7 million during a crusade at Garrick Memorial School in Benin City.

Newsmen reports that Edo State Commissioner of Police Funsho Adeboye disclosed this while parading 18 suspected criminals in Benin City.

Adeboye said the sexagenarians committed the offence on October 27, 2023.

He gave their names as Augustine Ikponmwoba, 67, and Roland Ibizugbe, 63, and the female suspect, Blessing Joseph, 36.

He said the Toyota Camry cars, with registration numbers MUS 791GA and USL 93AM, each valued at N3.5 million, belonged to Mrs Joy Mordi and Mr Peter E. Abiwo.

According to him, on November 27, 2023, at about 8 pm, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Evbuotubu Division, Benin City, received a complaint from Mordi of No. 4 Upper First Federal Road, Uselu and Abiwo of No. 10 Omoruyi Street that they individually parked their vehicles at Garrick Memorial Ground, Ekehuan Road, Benin City, to attend a crusade, but after the closing of the crusade at about 8 pm they discovered that their vehicles had been stolen.

“After a preliminary investigation, the case was transferred from the Evbuotubu Division to the Anti-Vehicle Theft Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Division (CID),” he said.

The arrest of Blessing Joseph, who had one of the phones left in Mordi’s vehicle, led to the arrest of Augustine Ikponmwoba, her male friend.

Adeboye said Ikponmwoba, in turn, led operatives of the command to arrest Ibizugbe.

He explained that the suspects made statements and confessed to the crime.

He added that the 18 suspects were arrested for alleged kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery, and illegal possession of firearms, among others.