We dismantle stolen cars, sell to spare parts dealers— suspect

Donatus-Okike,-suspect

Operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Lagos State Police Command, have arrested a member of a four-man armed robbery gang, which specialises in snatching vehicles at gunpoint in Lagos and its environs.

The police also recovered two unregistered vehicles, a Toyota Camry and a Sienna, as well as an AK-47 rifle and 73 rounds of live ammunition loaded in six magazines.

It was gathered that the stolen vehicles were dismantled and sold to spare parts dealers in Lagos and Port Harcourt. One of the suspects, 29-year-old Donatus Okike, recounted his exploits:

“I am a member of the four-man armed robbery gang that specialised in snatching exotic cars and dismantling them as motor spare parts, which we sell in spare parts markets here in Lagos or Port Harcourt. The names of the other gang members are Nonso, Consider and Segun.

“Last year December 16, we snatched Toyota Camry at Igando, a suburb of Lagos. We sold the Toyota Camry to one Lucky Oboh, a commercial bus driver at Igando, for N700,000 but he paid only N300,000.

Operations

“We usually remove the number plates when we want to sell the vehicle to make people believe they are Tokunbo cars. “I am a truck driver and my route is Mile II to Seme border and sometimes from Ogba to Idiroko in Ogun State. I live at Ogba. I am from Onueke village in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

“I came to Lagos in 2005 and was staying with my uncle at Maryland. I became a truck driver in 2009. The truck is owned by Ogbonna Okorie, who works in the place they load rice at Seme. “It was my friend, known as Consider that introduced me into armed robbery. The first Toyota Camry he asked me to help drive to Benin was sold for N600,000 and he gave me N50,000.

“The second car, a Sienna, which I took to Port Harcourt, was sold at N700,000 and I collected N300,000. “The third one, Toyota Camry, which I drove to Badagry area, was also sold. Bought we did not collect any dime because I did not know the misunderstanding they had with my gang leader, Segun. The fourth vehicle is a Sienna car.

“It caught fire on the road, as we were going to Port Harcourt to deliver it to a buyer. My role is to drive any snatched car to the buyer. It is our gang leader that carries and operate the gang’s AK-47.

Turns religious

“I became a Muslim in SARS cell. I love the way Muslim pray five times a day, while Christians pray only two times daily. Our Chief Imam in the cell asked us to have faith in God and he will set us free one day and we will give testimony and stop robbing or snatching vehicles.

“I am expecting a miracle from God to rescue me. Staying in SARS cell also helped me to stop smoking Indian hemp. I used the money I got from robbery to treat my sick mother. I do not have a lover. “Each time I am stressed up, I patronise prostitute at the New Generation Hotel. Usually, I spend N2,000 for short time. I pay a thousand naira for the hotel room and a thousand naira fee to the prostitute.”