I robbed people to build house, raise family says suspected car snatcher

NEMESIS has caught up with two  syndicates which  specialized  in the  hijacking of heavy duty   trucks along Benin / Ore Expressway  and  the snatching/stealing of  posh vehicles in  Ondo State.

Different vehicles and trucks were recovered from the syndicates  by detectives from the state Police Command.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that two suspects, Dele Olayemi and Ayo Akinde, were leaders of one of the syndicates which   specialized in stealing cars parked by owners.

The other syndicate, which  specialized in the hijacking of heavy duty trucks and petrol tankers, was said to have been  coordinated by four suspects, namely:

Sunday Olufemi, Idowu Omowole, Ebenezer Onos and Akeem Mayama, All the suspects who have allegedly made confessional statements are in police detention.

Over 11 different vehicles were recovered from the first syndicate while 14 were  taken from the other group.

Speaking with Sunday Vanguard, the leader of the syndicate that allegedly snatched  posh cars, Moses Olayemi, said he went into the business to make money so as to build a house.

“ My father married three wives and he  refused to send us to school. I only went to primary school.

“ I have been able to buy a land and what I am looking for is money to start the building after which I want to marry.

“ Some of my friends introduced me into this business of snatching and stealing of cars,”he stated.

When asked how many vehicles he had stolen, he said he could  only remember the number of those he  stole in the last 11 months.

“ I can only remember that over 11 different cars were snatched and stolen where the owners  parked them by my gang in the last 11months.

“The receiver of the stolen vehicles, one Omo Ode, used to buy the vehicles for between N80,000 and N140,000.”  Dele  explained that the dealer usually changed  the number plate and other   parts of the vehicle before selling  to unsuspected buyers.

“ We sold any jeep or posh car that we stole for N140, 000 while we sold smaller cars, whether new or old, for N80,000. “When we stole a car, we will remove its number and register it with a new one.

“We would change some parts of the vehicle so that the owner would not be able to identify it because most of the cars are being used in Akure, the state capital” The suspect, however, wondered why the dealer, popularly called ‘Oluomo’, who usually bought the stolen vehicles from them, was  not arrested  alongside  them. On how he stole vehicles,  he said, “ I will enter the market, buy ignition key. 

I will use the key to test the car. If  it starts, I will take the vehicle away;  if not, I will leave it and run away.” Sunday Vanguard  gathered that  Dele ran out of luck when, at   gun point, in front of UBA, in Akure, he snatched a Nissan Almera car.

Detectives swung into action after the matter was reported  to  the police  and the car was later recovered at Oba Akoko area of the state with many of its parts replaced.

Ondo State Police Commissioner Mike Ogbodu said  the suspects would soon be charged to court.

Vanguard