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A dramatic police operation in Akpehe, along the George Akume Expressway in Makurdi, Benue State, has exposed what residents are calling one of the largest motorcycle theft rings in the area. According to a viral social media post that has sent shockwaves through the community, operatives from Police E Division stormed a compound where hundreds, possibly thousands, of stolen commercial motorcycles popularly known as “okada” were being stored, dismantled, and repackaged for resale.
The breakthrough reportedly began when a victim whose motorcycle was fitted with a GPS tracker had his bike stolen overnight. After activating the tracker, the signal led directly to the now-infamous house on George Akume Expressway. Armed with the precise location, the owner alerted fellow okada riders and the police. What followed was a swift and overwhelming response; riders and police officers descended on the property in large numbers, catching the suspects off guard.
Eyewitness accounts claim two suspects attempted to flee the scene but were quickly overpowered by the combined force of law enforcement and angry riders. Inside the compound, the scale of the operation left many speechless. Authorities reportedly recovered over 2,000 motorcycles in various states; some intact, others stripped down to frames and engines, with spare parts filling multiple rooms. The sheer volume has stunned residents who pass the area daily without suspecting what was happening behind the walls.
The post, which has been widely shared across Makurdi WhatsApp and Facebook groups, alleges that nearly everyone in the neighborhood knew the identity of the kingpin behind the syndicate. “98% of you here know the owner of the house,” the poster wrote, adding a chilling warning: “Make him rest Sha” – local slang implying the community expects severe consequences, if not final retribution.
Social media reactions have been a mix of relief, rage, and dark humor. Many okada riders who have suffered repeated thefts over the years expressed satisfaction at seeing the warehouse exposed, while others demanded that the suspected mastermind be paraded publicly. “This man has finished many riders in Makurdi,” one commenter wrote. “Today na him turn.”
As of Sunday afternoon, the Benue State Police Command has not released an official statement on the raid, but sources close to the division confirmed that arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing to trace the network that supplied stolen bikes from across the state and possibly beyond.
For countless commercial motorcyclists in Makurdi who have lost their only source of livelihood overnight, this raid offers a rare glimmer of justice. Whether the recovered motorcycles will be returned to their rightful owners and the full syndicate dismantled remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: in Akpehe today, the long arm of the law, backed by determined riders and a little help from technology, finally caught up with the thieves.
