The Lagos State Police Command has uncovered an alleged vehicle fraud syndicate accused of swindling car dealers of more than N1 billion through coordinated scams involving luxury and commercial vehicles.
Police said investigations into three separate but related cases led to the recovery of several vehicles that had been moved from Lagos to Abuja and other parts of the country before being sold to unsuspecting buyers.
Speaking at the Command Headquarters in Ikeja, the Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, said detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, launched investigations after receiving complaints from multiple vehicle dealers.
According to the police commissioner, the investigations traced the alleged criminal operation to a syndicate believed to be led by a suspect identified as Otunba, who is currently on the run.
The police named Fatai Balogun, popularly known as “Eleku,” as one of the principal suspects. Other individuals linked to the case include Muritala, Bashiru and Segun.
Fatai explained that the first investigation involved Muritala, who allegedly collected vehicles from dealers with a promise to pay after selling them. During questioning, Muritala reportedly implicated Balogun, who admitted receiving the vehicles before handing them over to Otunba.
Further investigations linked Balogun to the fraudulent acquisition of 12 exotic vehicles from different dealers.
Using intelligence gathering and the AUTOREG vehicle tracking platform, police recovered a 2010 Toyota RAV4, as well as 2007 and 2017 Toyota Highlander SUVs.
The second investigation followed complaints from three vehicle dealers who accused Balogun, Otunba and other suspects of fraudulently obtaining seven vehicles worth about N700 million.
Investigators alleged that the suspects falsely claimed the vehicles were being purchased for prominent politicians in Abuja and issued post-dated cheques that were later returned unpaid.
Police said Balogun confessed to the offences and admitted selling the vehicles to different buyers. The investigation led to the recovery of a 2020 Toyota Hiace bus and a 2018 Ford Edge SUV.
In another related case, Balogun, Bashiru and other suspects allegedly obtained 10 Toyota Hiace buses valued at N320 million after claiming they were acting on Otunba’s instructions. A post-dated cheque issued for the purchase was later dishonoured due to insufficient funds.
Police recovered eight of the buses, although they were reportedly damaged, while two buses valued at N56.5 million remain missing.
Investigators said the suspects claimed the vehicles were intended for political campaign activities on behalf of Otunba.
According to CP Fatai, analysis of the three investigations revealed a similar pattern of operation, suggesting they were carried out by the same criminal network.
He alleged that the syndicate targeted reputable car dealers, used dud or post-dated cheques to obtain vehicles, quickly resold them through third parties and concealed the identities of the main beneficiaries using intermediaries.
The police confirmed the recovery of several vehicles, including a 2010 Toyota RAV4, 2007 and 2017 Toyota Highlander SUVs, two 2016 Toyota Hiace buses, a 2020 Toyota Hiace bus and a 2018 Ford Edge SUV.
