FCID re-arraigns suspected female stolen car receiver, 2 others

stolen car gang

The suspects

Paul Iyoghojie

Operatives of the Special Weapons and Tactical, SWAT of the Nigeria Police Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Force Headquarters, Abuja have re-arraigned a suspected female stolen car receiver, Veronica Anyanwu.

Anyanwu, 38, and two other accomplices were arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate’s Court for allegedly stealing and receiving two stolen Lexus SUVs valued at N8,000,000, property of one Hakeem Afolabi.

The two re-arraigned with her were Chimezie Ekezie (47) and Kingsley Godwin (45). They claimed to be working as drivers with a popular transport firm at Iddo-Oto, Oyingbo, Lagos before they were recruited into the alleged Car receiving business.

Police informed that the defendants were earlier arraigned in January 2022 in the charge marked M/1/2022 for the same alleged offence to which they pleaded not guilty.

They were, however, re-arraigned following a further intensive investigation into the case leading to the identification of the alleged owner of the stolen Cars, Hakeem Afolabi.

After a thorough investigation by a team led by Inspector Fidelis Omage, Veronica Anyanwu 39, a resident of Bwari Area of Abuja, Nigeria, Ekezie, and Godwin were re-arraigned before the Tinubu Magistrate’s Court, Lagos Island, Nigeria on a three-count charge of conspiracy, stealing and receiving two stolen Lexus SUVs with Reg. Numbers APP 909 FK and JJJ 433 HJ valued at N8m, property of Hakeem Afolabi.

Police Counsel, Charles Onwumere informed the Court in the amended charge that the defendants committed the offence in October 2021 at Abule- Egba, Lagos, Nigeria.

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Onwumere informed the Court that the defendants had been receiving stolen Cars from suspected robbers operating in Lagos before nemesis caught up with them.

He said the offences, the defendants committed were punishable under sessions 411, 287 328 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria.

The defendants again pleaded not guilty to the charges and Magistrate, Mrs Gbajumo Ayoku ordered that they should continue to enjoy the former bail granted them and adjourned the case till 9 November 2022 for mention.

According to the police, trouble started for the defendants when the office of the Inspected General of Police, IGP received credible information that cars stolen from Lagos State and other parts of Nigeria were being received and sold in Abuja.

Following the report, the Police Authority dispatched SWAT operatives to Lagos and Abuja to fish out those involved in the theft and receipt of the allegedly stolen cars.

Police informed that after days of intelligence gathering, they swooped on Veronica Anyanwu in Abuja where she allegedly displayed the two stolen SUVs for sale.

Anyanwu led the Police to arrest Ekezie and Godwin and allegedly confessed to the crime that She recruited the two accomplices to be helping her to drive the stolen cars from Lagos to Abuja.

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