Delta community laments rising rate of car snatching

Residents of Ogwashi-Uku Community, near Asaba, in Delta State, on Thursday, raised the concern over rising cases of car stealing in the community in the recent times.

Some of the residents, one of the, Felix Ebube told journalists that two incidences of car theft were last Saturday around Agbolu Street junction in the community recorded, adding that unsuspecting hoodlums often steal cars at car parks while the owners are as fast asleep at night.

Saying that there has been hue and cry of frequent car theft in the past three weeks, Mr. Ebube disclosed that a car was stolen in the owner’s compound last Monday while the owner had gone to his farm land to harvest some of his crops.

Investigation revealed that the hoodlums modus operandi of stealing is to lodge in hotels from where the survey car parks and know when the owners will be out for business, while in most cases, these unsuspecting hoodlums operate with natives of the community who allegedly feed them on how to operate without hitches.

It will be recalled that since the arrest and remand of two notorious armed robbery suspects in the community, Godspower Ebube (Alias Opobo in Ogbe-Ani Quarters, Chukwuma Onwordi Alias Obele in Ogbe-Onicha Quarters, peace had returned to the community until the recent crime wave.

The two suspects, reports said, allegedly specialized in robbing residents of Isah Ogwashi-Uku road axis before nemesis caught up with them.

But police officers at Ogwashi-Uku Police Division who confirmed the new crime wave on condition of anonymity, said two suspected car thieves were on Tuesday arrested in the area, adding that they would be charged to court on completion of investigation and assured of their efforts to rid-off criminals in the community.