Imo LG Vice Chairman Prince Igbokwe arrested over alleged car theft in Lagos, RULAAC warns against compromised investigation
By Ishaya Ibrahim
The Lagos State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of the serving Vice Chairman of Ezinihitte Mbaise Local Government Area in Imo State, Igbokwe Prince Matthew Onyekaozuru, popularly known as Prince Igbokwe.
Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed to TheNiche in a WhatsApp chat: “The said person was arrested and currently under investigation.”
The police announced on Tuesday the dismantling of a car theft syndicate responsible for stealing and dismantling vehicles for resale in Lagos. Although no names were mentioned in the briefing, TheNiche was reliably informed that the incumbent Vice Chairman of Ezinihitte Mbaise Local Government Area was among those arrested.
The arrest prompted the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) to formally petition the Inspector-General of Police, demanding a thorough and independent investigation into the case involving the elected Vice Chairman, Prince Igbokwe.
In the petition dated April 8, 2026, and signed by RULAAC Executive Director Okechukwu Nwanguma, the group stated that Onyekaozuru was apprehended by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command for alleged car snatching and vehicle vandalisation in the Festac axis of Lagos. He was reportedly paraded by a tactical police unit operating around the Ladipo Market area.
RULAAC expressed serious concern over reports that the suspect is a serving elected official who has faced prior allegations of serious violent crimes in Imo State, including an earlier arrest by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit (Tiger Base) of the Imo State Police Command. The group alleged that in previous cases, the suspect escaped accountability, raising questions of possible political interference, compromised investigations, and systemic failures within the police.
The advocacy centre warned of the risk of “repeat impunity” if the current case is not handled with strict professionalism, transparency and independence.
It described the development as part of a troubling pattern in which individuals allegedly involved in serious criminal activity infiltrate political office, thereby undermining public trust, democratic governance and the rule of law.
TheNiche also learned from a senior Imo State Government official that Prince Igbokwe has an alleged criminal background. The official expressed surprise that relevant security agencies failed to detect it during background checks before his election to the office.
