A suspected car snatcher, Alhaji Kabiru Akorede, who was
arrested by the Lagos State Police Command, has said he could not count the
number of stolen vehicles he sold to people.
It waslearnt that 42-year-old Akorede, who hails from
Ilorin, Kwara State, was nabbed by operatives of the special Anti-Robbery Squad
in his residence at NEPA Quarters, Isashi, Lagos.
Our correspondent gathered that Akorede allegedly belonged to
an eight-man robbery gang, who had gone to the Victoria Island area on
September 12, 2014 and robbed one Mr. Albert Omisore of his Toyota Prado
marked, AAA 690 BH.
The vehicle had reportedly been delivered to Moses Ogbu, a
gang member, who in turn, gave it to Akorede for sale.
According to the police, Akorede allegedly re-fixed the
fittings of the vehicle such as the headlights and windscreens.
However, after the gang had been nabbed, Akorede was trailed
by SARS operatives. He was subsequently arrested, while the stolen vehicle was
recovered.
According to the police, Akorede had been arrested earlier in
the year and was still standing trial before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court when
he went back into crime. The police added that Akorede was arrested at the
point of re-fixing the fittings of a stolen vehicle.
Speaking with PUNCH Metro last Friday, Akorede, who said he
went on a pilgrimage to Mecca in 2010, confessed that although he started
selling stolen vehicles barely a year ago, he could not recall the number of
the vehicles he had sold.
He said, “I was working as a building engineer until 2013. I
started receiving stolen cars last year. It was a friend, one Dada, who
introduced me to the gang. Since I started with them, I used to sell the stolen
vehicles along the Ile Zik area in Lagos.
“I cannot recall the number of the vehicles I collected, but
they may not be less than 20. There were about three Toyota Highlander which I
sold for N1.2m each. I also got four Toyota Camry, which I sold for N600,000
each.”
Akorede, who is married with two children, said that while
the court granted him bail, Ogbu called him that the gang wanted to dispose a
Toyota Prado, and the vehicle was brought to his place.
He said, “I decided to work on the vehicle so that I could
conveniently resell it. It is true that I changed the fittings. I gave Moses
N250,000 for the vehicle. I did this because I desperately needed money.”
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth
Nwosu, confirmed the arrest, adding that the suspect would be charged to court.
He said, “Yes, the suspect was arrested for receiving stolen
vehicles. Investigations are ongoing and he would be charged to court soon.”
Source :Punch
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