Police smash cross country robbery gang
Policemen attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja have arrested six armed robbers who specialise in robbing vehicles at Igbede area near Alaba International market, Ojo in Lagos; Onitsha in Anambra State and Ameke Abamyu in Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State. The men were paraded on Monday before the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Fatai Owoseni at the police headquarters in Ikeja.
The following vehicles robbed from various part of the country were recovered from the robbers: Unregistered Toyota 4 Runner Jeep, Toyota Camry No. AAA 391 AA, Toyota Camry No. FKJ 441 DV; 1 Lexus RX300 Jeep No. HAL 100 RF; 1 Lexus RX 300 Jeep No. LSR 520 DA; Toyota Highlander No. LSR492DX and Mitsubishi Pajero Jeep No. SMK484DS. Among the suspects is one Reverend Titus Owuchukwa from Abia State who told Police he heads a Presbyterian Church in Umuahia.
“It was when I came for a programmed in Lagos in November 2015 that I saw a car they placed ‘for sale’ box on it at Alaba. When I priced the car, I was given a number to reach the owner which I did. The man came over and told me it was his personal car but that since I am a reverend minister, he would like to sow the car into my life. “He asked me what I had to give him; I told him I just had an accident a couple of days ago that I did not have much, that I could offer just N500, 000 for the vehicle. It was a Pajero Mistubishi. He told me to be praying for him that he has just one child and that he wanted more.
“I gave him N350,000 and promised to pay the remaining N150,000 later. “I never knew it was a stolen car. It was just recently that I was arrested for the purchase of a stolen car. I saw where they wrote ‘for sale’ and I bought it. When I got to my base in Umuahia, I shared my experience with a friend. My friend then requested I call him to know if he had another vehicle for sale. I did call him and he told me he had a Camry tinny light for N300,000. My friend insisted he would pay N250,000. “When I bought the vehicle, I was given the complete papers. I even called a soldier to help me verify if the papers were original.
The name on the vehicle document was same name as his, Felix Bright. I even did the change of document. Another suspect is 31-year-old Ndube Samuel who told police that he bought a Toyota Camry from his brother-in-law, Chibuike Ume for N700,000 in September 2015. “I was in my shop at Onitsha when he called me to come that he has a message for my sister that he would want to deliver the message to me and then I can tell his sister (my wife). “When I got to where he was, I found out he was with some persons who were police officers. They told me the car I bought from Chibuike was a stolen car. I did not know it was a stolen car.
He just told me it was his personal car and that he just wanted to sell it to buy another one. The car documents given to me all contained his name. I sell drugs in Onitsha. In all, seven cars were recovered from his stand. “Osas Felix, 32, who sold one of the vehicles, was given to me by a friend to sell since he knows me as a car dealer who sells cars at Berger. I got to know him last year and it is just one car that I got from him. “He told me it was a stolen car; I bought it for N300,000 and I sold for N500,000. I have only bought two stolen vehicles. Sincerely the reverend did not know it was a stolen car.
He was arrested because he called me for a Camry when the police had already arrested me. “It is just two cars that I have bought as stolen cars. I have been a car dealer for over seven years and I have sold over five hundred cars but not stolen ones. I buy cars from Benin Republic and other countries. I am a licensed car dealer.” “Melvin Chibuike is my friend; he gives me the cars to sell. He told me to look for buyers that the cars were from Cotonou in Benin Republic. My job was to find buyers for the vehicle and then they would give me my commission after they sell.
“I have known him for two years and have been in the business for about a year and I have sold more than six vehicles to five different buyers. I used to sell clothes at Alaba market and he usually patronise me, but on one that day while we were discussing, I told him a friend needed a car and he told me he was into the business of bringing in cars. “I only heard he had been arrested by the police and I came to see him and that was how I was also arrested. I never knew he was selling stolen cars. My commission is always between N100,000 and N50, 000.” Bola Salami, 29, confessed that he is a mechanic.
“It is a friend called Opeyemi that introduced me into the business in December. We robbed vehicles together; I have only robbed and sold one car.” Opeyemi Aregbsola, 25, said he started as a pick pocket before he graduated into car snatching. He claimed he started robbing just last year and it was a friend named Shame Badoo who introduced me into the business, Speaking to correspondents at the parade, the police said with regards to the incidence of armed robbery, within the period, the Special Squad were able to arrest 31 armed robbery suspects and the police recovered from those arrested, 12 pistols, rifles and a locally made one.
