A suspected car-snatching syndicate members who were arrested by the Oyo State Police Command have recounted how they met one another in prison during remand for different cases and contacted one another later after their release to form a syndicate of car snatchers and receivers.
They said that whenever the car-snatching gang members got vehicles, they would call in the receivers who would get buyers for the snatched vehicles, while the proceeds would be shared among all.
The Commissioner of Police, Adebola Hamzat, during a recent press briefing, told journalists that a team of operatives attached to the command’s Monitoring Unit and led by the Commander, CSP Olusola Aremu, uncovered the activities of a criminal syndicate which specialised in attacking members of the public and dispossessing them of their exotic vehicles and other valuable items at gun point.
The police said that after their operations, the gang members would hand over the snatched vehicles to their criminal receivers, who would, in turn, sell them to another set of unsuspecting members of the public with forged documents.
CP Hamzat stated further that the intelligence gathered spurred the Monitoring Unit operatives into action and, in the process, the kingpin of the syndicate, identified as Adewale Ademola, was arrested.
The police boss said that confession of his deeds, coupled with further discreet investigation, later led to the arrest of the syndicate’s receivers. They were identified as Oluwaseun Azeez, Alabi Abdulrazaq Olawale and Isiaka Iskilu. Also arrested was a self-acclaimed insurance broker, Omole Olayiwola, who helped the receivers in forging Customs papers and vehicle documents.
Recovered from the gang were two Toyota Camry cars (A.k.a Muscle), two Toyota Camry cars (A.k.a Pencil)), a Toyota Camry car (A.k.a Envelope) and a Toyota Sienna space bus.
CP Hamzat assured that investigation would continue in order to track other members of the syndicate.
Nigerian Tribune had an interview with the suspects: Below are the excerpts:
Ademola Adewale
I’m from Ago Iwoye, Ogun State. I’m 38 years old. I had a barbing salon before I was remanded in prison for cultism and murder. I was a member of Eiye Confraternity. I attended Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ogun State studying Chemistry but dropped out in the second year because a rival cult, Aiye Confraternity, was killing many of us and I was afraid of staying in school.
“I was not part of those who committed murder which the rival cult group was avenging, but I was arrested with other cult members. I was in Igbeba prison for about five years before I was granted bail in January this year. While there, I met an Igbo guy called John who introduced Seun to me. One Ahmed was also a fellow prison inmate. He was the one who went with Charles to snatch a car, and I informed Seun ahead of receiving it. The car was snatched along Odogbolu Road.
“However, I once followed the gang to a robbery operation which we were carrying out at night. We usually targeted unregistered vehicles. We were usually two, and would stay at a rough spot at night, waiting for an oncoming vehicle. We would then notify the driver of a problem one of us would claim to have noticed. That would make the driver to get down and in the process of checking it, leaving the car key in the ignition, a gang member would enter the car and drives off while I would quickly run to join him.
“I got two vehicles for Seun, one of which I took part in snatching.”
How I was arrested
“Seun didn’t pay fully for the second vehicle I gave him. He gave me N250,000 only. Charles and Ahmed collected N100,000 each while I got N50,000. They were unhappy with what they got, telling me it was a bad business since I was the one who introduced them to Seun. They said that they were no longer interested. That was in May this year. I also decided to stop the illicit business and went to a motor park to work. However, three months after, I was arrested after the police tracked my pregnant lover.”
Oluwaseun Afeez
“I’m 42 years old. I’m from Ijebu Ode, Ogun State but I was living in Fiditi, Oyo State, at the time of my arrest.
“Before my arrest, one Dele Balogun called me that he wanted to sell a vehicle. He was introduced to me by Dotun whom I met in prison. I was remanded in prison at that time after my arrest for buying a phone that was tracked to me. I left the prison when I fulfilled the bail conditions. The case was eventually struck out when there was no complainant.
“I was in the same cell with Dotun and I was taken care of by him. He was the one who received me into the cell and fed me. We discussed and he intimated me of having a friend involved in stealing vehicles. I told him to let me know anytime such would be available so that I would make moves to sell it.
“I spent two weeks in Agodi prison but before I left there, he collected my phone number. One day after he had also left prison, he called and told me to help check a vehicle that his friend wanted to sell. It was a Toyota Camry (Muscle). He told me that his friend was a car snatcher. I had the intention of handing it over to Wale, also a vehicle receiver whom I met in prison.
“As I wanted to take the vehicle in Oyo Town, I was surrounded by the police and arrested. I had received five vehicles which have been recovered. One Ademola and another person, Charles, currently at large, were the ones I got the vehicles from. I also met Charles in prison. I sold the vehicles in Osun State.”
When asked of how much he had made from selling snatched vehicles, Seun smiled wryly and said with regret: “You have asked me a very salient question. I have not been able to gather any money from the sale proceeds. I got N100,000 each on three Toyota Camry (Pencil) cars that I sold.”
Alabi Rasaq Olawale
“I’m from Ilesa, Osun State. I’m aged 49. I was working with motor dealers to get vehicle buyers. That was what I was surviving on. I met Seun in prison.”
Why I was remanded in prison
“In 2020, I went to Ibadan to buy a vehicle. Unfortunately for me, on my journey back to Osun State, I was stopped by the police. They asked for the vehicle particulars and I gave them. I later realised that it was a stolen vehicle. I called the person who sold it to me, named Akodu, and he was also arrested.
“While in prison, I met an older man, who was taking care of his fellow inmates. He was also the one who was putting me through how to get out of my predicament. I was released on bail through the help of his lawyer.
“One day, he called me that he was going to Kaduna and would see me on his way. He came with four vehicles and slept in my house. He wanted to leave early the following day but I persuaded him not to. I took him out to eat, but before my return home, I was called and told that the police had surrounded my house.
“The man quickly reversed, took me to where he lodged those who came with him and took them to motor park, after which we faced Kaduna. I asked him what happened and he said that tracker must have been in one of the vehicles, which led the police to where it was parked.
“I stayed in Kaduna and my wife was arrested. Two weeks after her arrest, I was also arrested. That was in 2020. I was arraigned and remanded in prison again. That was when I met Seun.
“When I left prison, Seun called me. Initially, I didn’t know that he was acquainted with receiving stolen vehicles. In 2022, I came to him in Ibadan and narrated my predicament to him, telling him that I was down and deserted by friends.
“He confided in me that he was a receiver of snatched vehicles and asked if I could be selling too. I agreed. That was how we started and he gave me a Ford bus and a Toyota Camry car. The Ford vehicle was dismantled and sold in pieces. I was given N80,000. I was given N120,000 from the proceeds of the Camry car, but the vehicle has been recovered.”
Omole Olayiwola
“I’m aged 60 and also from Ilesa. I was a commissioned agent of an insurance company. Olawale called me to make fake Customs papers and number plates for a vehicle he had. I got N40,000 for the job, unknown to me that the vehicle was stolen.”
Isiaka Iskilu
I’m from Iwo, aged 41. Olawale and I were co-tenants in a residence in Iwo. He told me he was a car dealer. Later, he brought a Toyota Sienna vehicle which he said came in from Cotonou, telling me that he needed a buyer. I got him a buyer. Not long after, he brought a Toyota Camry (Pencil) and I helped him to get another buyer.
“On June 25, I was called by him and he told me that the vehicles I helped him to sell were snatched from their owners. Four of such vehicles have been recovered by the police.”
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