Three suspects arrested by the [Lagos State Police Command](https://www.lagosstate.gov.ng/) admitted to robbing a traditional ruler of his crown, regalia and cash worth roughly N50 million during a raid on the [Ife Expressway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ife_Expressway) in Osun State. The arrests were announced on Wednesday by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, who said the men were taken into custody as part of a month‑long crackdown on highway crimes.
**Who were the suspects and what crimes are they linked to?**
The individuals identified are Chubuzor Anasihwe, 31; Uchenna Steven, 26; and Ejike Ani, 31. Police say they were involved in multiple robberies of motorists and the theft of about five vehicles on separate occasions along the same highway, with the total value of stolen items estimated at N50 million.
**What did the police recover?**
Investigators recovered a Toyota van bearing the registration BDJ 180 AJ, registered in Oyo State, which they allege was used by the gang to transport the stolen goods. The van was seized during the operation that led to the suspects’ capture.
**What have the suspects claimed?**
All three men gave confessional statements and are cooperating with authorities to locate the remaining stolen vehicles, apprehend other gang members and retrieve the weapons allegedly used. However, Ejike Ani asserted that the monarch was not the original target. He said the gang encountered the ruler while returning to Lagos after a different robbery.
**Why did the gang target the monarch’s vehicle?**
According to Ani, a friend known as Obinna invited them to the operation after learning that Ani was short of money. “It was one of my friends, Obinna, who invited us for the operation. He told us that we were going to snatch vehicles. I told him that I was broke and needed money. That was when he told me about the operation, and I agreed,” he recounted.
**Did the gang use real firearms?**
Ani further claimed that the assailants did not carry genuine guns. Instead, they fashioned sticks wrapped in cellophane tape to mimic firearms. He said they were seated at the back of the vehicle when Obinna spotted the monarch’s car and that the friend seized the crown and other valuables without the gang’s prior knowledge.
Police officials confirmed that investigations remain ongoing to locate additional members of the criminal network, recover the remaining stolen vehicles and secure any weapons used during the attacks.