The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has continued to promote Emma Adegboyega Oyeleye, the police officer who signed the dismissal signal for two detectives who exposed an alleged car theft syndicate in Kwara State and reportedly rejected an ₦8 million bribe to compromise the investigation.
The two former detectives, Shola Akano and Glorious Babatunde, were dismissed from the force in July 2020 after investigating the suspected criminal network, which they alleged was protected by senior police officers.
However, more than six years after their dismissal, the case remains unresolved, according to information provided to ChroniclesReporters.
Oyeleye, who was serving as an Assistant Commissioner of Police (Administration) at the time, signed the signal formally communicating the dismissal of the two officers on July 21, 2020.
A senior police source disclosed that Oyeleye had continued to receive promotions within the force despite the unresolved controversy surrounding the dismissal of the detectives.
According to the source, he was promoted on February 22, 2023, and received another promotion in 2026, reportedly attaining the rank of Commissioner of Police (CP).
The reported promotions have raised questions about the police authorities’ handling of the case, particularly as the two former detectives continue to seek justice over their dismissal.
Akano and Babatunde have maintained that they were punished for refusing to compromise an investigation into an alleged car theft syndicate whose members they believed were receiving protection from influential individuals within the police.
The controversy dates back to December 2018, when a robbery was reported in Ilorin, Kwara State. The victim, Abdulrasak Omowunmi, was reportedly attacked at gunpoint in his residence, and his Toyota Camry was stolen.
Babatunde and Akano were subsequently assigned to investigate the case and recover the stolen vehicle.
In October 2019, the detectives joined a four-man police team that traced the stolen Camry to Nasarawa State. Accompanied by the complainant, they arrested two suspects, identified as John Opagbile and Charles Oluwatuyi.
According to Babatunde’s account, the suspects were found in possession of the stolen Camry and four other vehicles allegedly bearing forged registration documents.
During interrogation, Opagbile allegedly confessed that Ajadi Habeeb, a car dealer based in Kwara State, was the leader of the suspected car theft network.
The detectives said their investigation subsequently brought them closer to establishing a case against Ajadi and bringing him before a court.
However, they alleged that their efforts were frustrated by the intervention of senior police officers who pressured them to abandon the investigation.
Babatunde previously told SaharaReporters that he and Akano were shocked when Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ali Abdukadri and Sergeant Tawa Ajibola, who were not originally assigned to the case, allegedly began interrogating the suspects without their knowledge.
According to Babatunde, the detectives reported the development to the then Commissioner of Police in Kwara State, Kayode Egbetokun, who ordered the officers to be detained.
The detectives further alleged that they were offered an ₦8 million bribe by Abdukadri to compromise the investigation and prevent the suspected car theft case from proceeding.
They said they rejected the alleged bribe and continued pursuing the case, a decision they believe contributed to the events that eventually led to their dismissal.
The controversy also involved the intervention of a retired police officer who allegedly sought the release of the detained suspects.
Babatunde alleged that the retired officer, who reportedly supervised a motor park where Ajadi kept some of his vehicles, visited Egbetokun’s office alongside members of Ajadi’s family to plead for the suspects’ release.
According to Babatunde, the retired officer later proposed an arrangement to facilitate Ajadi’s arrest, claiming he could lure the suspected car theft kingpin to a designated location.
The plan reportedly involved Abdukadri and two other police officers accompanying the retired officer to carry out the operation.
Babatunde said the team was instructed that, upon Ajadi’s arrival, Abdukadri would enter his vehicle, switch off the engine and signal the other officers to move in and effect the arrest.
He said the team complied with the arrangement despite their reservations because Abdukadri was their superior officer.
However, Babatunde alleged that the operation took an unexpected turn when Ajadi arrived and Abdukadri entered his vehicle.
Instead of giving the agreed signal, Ajadi allegedly sped off with Abdukadri still inside the car.
According to Babatunde, Abdukadri later claimed that Ajadi pushed him out of the moving vehicle.
Babatunde further alleged that Abdukadri subsequently received a new posting as the officer in charge of the same police station that Ajadi had allegedly built.
The police station, located in Maida Town on the outskirts of Ilorin, became another source of controversy surrounding the alleged relationship between the suspected car theft kingpin and some police officers.
On April 13, 2025, SaharaReporters published a report linking the police station’s approval to Egbetokun’s tenure as Commissioner of Police in Kwara State.
The report alleged that Ajadi, described as a suspected car theft kingpin and Kwara-based car dealer, had constructed the police outpost, which was subsequently placed under the control of Abdukadri.
The report also raised allegations that the officer had shielded Ajadi and facilitated his illicit activities. These remain allegations and have not been established as proven facts in the information available about the case.
The dispute escalated in March 2020 when Babatunde and Akano were detained and subjected to an internal police trial at the Kwara State Police Command.
The two officers were accused of extorting ₦1.19 million from a man identified as Fatai near Zenith Bank.
During their 15-day detention, they were also served with court motions filed by Opagbile and Oluwatuyi, the same suspects they had arrested during the investigation into the stolen Toyota Camry and other vehicles.
Babatunde said he opposed one of the bail applications, arguing that releasing the suspects could jeopardise the ongoing investigation.
Despite their objections, the court granted the suspects bail.
The detectives were subsequently dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force in July 2020, with Oyeleye signing the dismissal signal dated July 21, 2020.
The circumstances surrounding the dismissal have remained a major concern for the former officers, who believe they were punished for refusing to compromise their investigation into the alleged car theft syndicate.
In January 2021, the two former detectives were reportedly invited to Abuja for an investigation into the matter.
However, one of them later expressed frustration over the absence of a conclusive outcome.
“We are all invited to Abuja for investigation in January 2021. Till today, nothing comes up till today,” one of the former officers told SaharaReporters.
Following their dismissal, Babatunde and Akano had hoped that the police leadership under former Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun would review their case and consider reinstating them.
They wanted the authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding their dismissal, determine whether they had been unfairly punished and address the allegations of interference in the car theft investigation.
However, the former detectives have continued to seek answers over their dismissal, while Oyeleye has reportedly advanced through the police hierarchy, receiving promotions in 2023 and 2026.
The case has raised broader concerns about accountability within the Nigeria Police Force, particularly the treatment of officers who report suspected criminal activities or refuse to participate in alleged misconduct involving their colleagues or superiors.
It has also drawn attention to questions about the effectiveness of internal disciplinary procedures when allegations involve senior officers and suspected criminal networks.
The unresolved case leaves the former detectives seeking answers about the circumstances that ended their police careers, the fate of their investigation into the alleged car theft syndicate and whether the authorities will reopen the matter to establish the facts surrounding their dismissal.
ChroniclesReporters could not independently establish from the information provided whether the police authorities have issued a formal response to the former detectives’ allegations or announced any fresh investigation into their case.