Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The moment the residents of Ugbor, a densely populated suburb of Benin City, raised the alarm about a midnight robbery, the Edo State Police Command did something that armed gangs rarely expect: they moved faster than the criminals could count their loot. Within hours, operatives attached to the Ugbor Police Station had tracked two members of a 10‑man armed robbery gang to a hotel in the state capital, arrested them inside their room, and recovered a haul of stolen electronics and cash. The suspects, identified as Mustapha Haruna and Abdullahi Abdulrahman (also referred to in some reports as Abdulahi Abdulraman), are now in custody, while a statewide manhunt has been launched for the eight remaining members of the syndicate.
The robbery, which occurred in the early hours of Thursday, May 21, 2026, targeted multiple homes in the Ugbor area, a bustling residential and commercial district in Benin City. According to accounts from residents who spoke to local media, the gang operated with speed and precision, breaking into houses, ransacking rooms, and carting away valuables before fleeing into the night. One resident, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, told The Punch: “The robbers stole many valuable items, including phones and cash. However, they were later apprehended in a hotel, and I believe they will face the law.” The gang’s loot included assorted iPhones, Samsung mobile phones, several laptops, a JBL portable speaker, a power bank, and an undisclosed sum of money – items that police say were partly recovered from the two suspects at the hotel.
The arrest was the result of a coordinated intelligence‑led operation. Immediately after the robbery was reported, detectives from the Ugbor Police Division launched a manhunt, combing through security camera footage and gathering tips from the community. Their persistence paid off when they tracked Haruna and Abdulrahman to a hotel in another part of Benin City, where the two men had apparently hoped to lie low and share out their proceeds. Instead, police swooped in, arrested them without incident, and seized a significant portion of the stolen goods. “The robbery incident was reported, and two members of the gang were arrested by operatives of the Ugbor Police Station,” said the Edo State Police Command’s spokesperson, SP Eno Ikoedem, confirming the development. “Investigations are still ongoing, and efforts are being made to arrest other fleeing members of the gang.”
Public records indicate that the two suspects are part of a larger 10‑man syndicate that has allegedly been terrorising parts of Benin City for weeks. Their arrest inside a hotel – a place that robbers and fraudsters often use as a temporary hideout – sends a clear signal that Edo police are no longer playing defence. “The command will continue to intensify patrols and intelligence‑driven operations to ensure that criminals have no safe haven in the state,” Ikoedem added. She also urged residents to keep providing timely and credible information to security agencies, stressing that community cooperation had been instrumental in this breakthrough.
The case has already drawn attention to the growing use of hospitality facilities as criminal hideouts. While the management of the hotel where the suspects were arrested has not been publicly identified, security sources say the facility is being investigated to determine whether its operators had any knowledge of the gang’s activities. “We will not hesitate to sanction any hospitality business that turns a blind eye to criminality,” a senior police officer told journalists on condition of anonymity.
As of Thursday evening, May 21, 2026, both suspects remain in police custody, where they are being interrogated to uncover the identities and whereabouts of their eight accomplices. The recovered items – iPhones, Samsung devices, laptops, the JBL speaker and the power bank – have been inventoried and will be presented as evidence in court. Residents of Ugbor, who had spent the early morning hours in fear, have welcomed the arrests. “At least we know that the police are awake. We want the rest of them caught too,” said one neighbour.
The Edo State Police Command has assured the public that it will not rest until the entire gang is dismantled. “The long arm of the law will catch up with every criminal who disturbs the peace of our state,” the police statement concluded. With eight suspects still on the run, the hunt is far from over, but the message from the Ugbor Police Station is unmistakable: no hotel room, no dark corner and no stolen phone is safe enough to hide from justice.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments