1st August, 2012
The Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Lagos State Police Command has arrested a gang of five car snatchers who specialise in snatching exotic cars. The group which operates in Lagos, according to police source, has members in many states.
Crime Watch learnt that one of the suspects who was arrested in Lagos confessed to the police that he had snatched 14 exotic cars in Lagos State and that he had accomplices in other states.
Men of the SARS led by Supol Ade Adetarami, acting on the suspect’s confession, travelled to Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, southeast Nigeria, in search of other members of the gang.
One of the suspects confessed that he slept in a thick bush in the east for some days before he was arrested and brought to Lagos.
Another member of the group confessed that he was arrested and arraigned before a court in Kogi State, north central Nigeria, last year and that he was later discharged for lack of diligent prosecution. He said that a few days after he was freed, he went into car snatching and sale of stolen vehicles.
Police sources said the suspects’ confession has led to the recovery of 25 stolen vehicles. Some of the cars recovered from Abakaliki, Ebonyi State include a Nissan Murano SUV, Toyota Corolla car, Liberty SUV and Mitsubishi bus.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Manko, said the suspects were arrested through intelligent report and urged members of the public to always assist the police with useful information. Manko said the suspects will be charged to court at the completion of police investigation.
The Lagos Police Command Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mrs. Ngozi Braide, said the police have been working on the confessions of the suspects with a view to recovering their weapons.
—Lucky Lawal