We prefer dismantling snatched vehicles to make them untraceable — suspect – Newstrends
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We prefer dismantling snatched vehicles to make them untraceable — suspect

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12 months ago

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Akeem Musa

We prefer dismantling snatched vehicles to make them untraceable — suspect

A 39-year-old suspected car snatcher, Akeem Musa, has confessed to the style adopted by him and his gang to ‘butcher’ snatched vehicles so as to make them untraceable by the owners.

Musa also revealed how he acted as a passenger with other gang members to snatch their last victim’s commercial vehicle in Lagos State, after which he was arrested by Oyo State Police Command in Ibadan.

He made the confession last Friday at the press briefing by the Commissioner of Police, Adebola Hamzat, at the command headquarters at Eleyele, Ibadan.

At the briefing, the police commissioner, represented by the command spokesman, SP Adewale Osifeso, said that Musa and another gang member disguised as passengers and engaged the services of a commercial car driver, one Alli, to convey them to Ibadan.

“On getting to a desolate spot along Ibadan/Lagos expressway, the hoodlums suddenly brought out their weapons which were concealed while boarding the vehicle, and attacked the said victim after they had dispossessed him of his mobile phones, cash and some other valuable property.

“They pushed him out and escaped with his Opel Ventra car with registration number KTU 736 YG,” CP Hamzat disclosed.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the incident was reported at Agugu Division and later transferred to Monitoring Unit for further investigation.

The police boss added: “After a discreet investigation, the suspected kingpin of the criminal gang, who was later identified as Akeem Musa, was arrested and the Opel car recovered from him.”
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Information gathered revealed that with a buyer in mind, Musa reportedly headed towards Ibadan. On getting there, he was said to have put a call through to the man and took the vehicle to Agodi gate area in the capital city.

However, on seeing the car, the intending buyer had told the suspect that the vehicle was still very neater than being dismantled into parts for sale while the selling price proposed by him was too cheap.

When they could not agree on this, the suspect took the car, with the decision to dismantle the car himself and sell the parts. He was said to have taken the vehicle to a mechanic workshop at Oje area where he removed the engine. He had claimed ownership of the vehicle and told the mechanic that it had engine defect, saying that he wanted to sell the faulty engine to spare parts traders at Gate area, with the plan to add money to buy another.

He reportedly returned to Gate area where he sold the engine to the same intending buyer for N40,000. However, his movement with the vehicle raised suspicion of people living within Oje where the suspect was also domiciled. They felt something was fishy as they never knew him as car owner. This led to a report to the police station nearest to them, resulting in his arrest.

During interrogation, Musa reportedly confessed to how the car was snatched from the owner and brought to Ibadan.

Thirty-year-old Musa, in an interview, said: “I was a mechanic but stopped the job when my father died. I started driving towing vehicles in Lagos State. I also left the place and returned home in Ikire, Osun State

“When I couldn’t get any job to do, I went back to Lagos. There too, I didn’t get a job until I joined a car wash stand as an employee in Ijora. A young man, Abass, was also working there. A Golf car was parked at the car wash stand which the owner left there for washing. A suggestion was made by Abass for us to steal the vehicle for sale. I drove it to Ibadan where itwas dismantled and sold in pieces. We were paid N400,000 and I got N150,000 as my share.”

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How second car was snatched

“I met the suspect at large, known as Ajeye, at Oje in Ibadan and I went back to Lagos with him and his friend. I told him a lie that I was working as a driver of Federal Mass-Assisted bus. Ajeye pleaded to follow me to Lagos so that he would be the bus conductor.

“For three days after we got to Lagos, we had no job to do. That was how we came up with the idea to snatch a car from its owner. On the day we carried out the operation, the driver picked us from Maryland. When we got to a spot, I told the man that he should stop for us. I didn’t know that Ajeye hid a cutlass in his body. He brought out the cutlass and the driver started pleading with us not to kill him. As he got down, I took over the steering wheel and we drove to Ibadan.

“When I got to the intending buyer, he said that the vehicle was too neat and he could not dismantle it. He advised me to park it somewhere until the dust would settle. I took the car to a mechanic and he asked for the owner. I took the intending buyer to him and said that he was the vehicle owner. I removed the engine and took it to him. He paid N40,000.”

How I was exposed

“Some members of Odua People’s Congress (OPC) who noticed the vehicle became suspicious, as they knew I had no job to get an amount that would buy a car. They went to report at Agugu police station and I was arrested.”

We prefer dismantling snatched vehicles to make them untraceable — suspect

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NURTW scribe felicitates Nigerians on Xmas, urges caution 

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3 hours ago

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December 22, 2024

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NURTW scribe felicitates Nigerians on Xmas, urges caution 

 

The General Secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Comrade Kayode Agbeyangi, has enjoined Nigerians to imbibe the virtues of peace, love and compassion as taught through the birth of Jesus Christ.

He stated this in his Christmas and end of the year goodwill message to felicitate members of the union and Nigerians in general.

Agbeyangi urged Nigerians to use the festive season to reflect on the values of love, compassion, and sacrifice that Jesus Christ embodied.

“This period is not for merry making alone; we should also spare time to reflect on the birth and life of Jesus Christ.

“His birth teaches humility, love compassion and sacrifice. As Nigerians, we must show love to our fellow county men. We must love our country. As Nigerians, we must be ready to make sacrifices for the nation.”

The NURTW scribe also used the opportunity to appeal to members of the union and other road users to always exercise caution and adhere to all safety protocols while travelling during the festive season.

“As we celebrate, let us not forget the importance of road safety. The roads can be treacherous, especially during the festive season.

“I urge our members and all road users to drive safely, avoid overspending, overtaking at dangerous bends and overloading, and be courteous to other road users,” he stated.

He also advised drivers that all their vehicle papers should be up to date to avoid embarrassment from law enforcement officers on the highways.

Comrade Agbeyangi prayed for a peaceful and joyous celebration, and wished members of the union and Nigerians, a happy prosperous New Year.

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Why we displayed ‘Jesus Christ is not God’ banner at Lekki mosque -Imam

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3 hours ago

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December 22, 2024

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Why we displayed ‘Jesus Christ is not God’ banner at Lekki mosque -Imam

 

The Chief Imam of Lekki Central Mosque in Lagos, Ridwanullah Jamiu, has said the “Jesus Christ is Not God” banner placed on the fence of the mosque was not intended to provoke anybody. The banner became a source of controversy after a picture of it was shared on social media, with many calling it an…

The Chief Imam of Lekki Central Mosque in Lagos, Ridwanullah Jamiu, has said the “Jesus Christ is Not God” banner placed on the fence of the mosque was not intended to provoke anybody.

The banner became a source of controversy after a picture of it was shared on social media, with many calling it an attack on the Christian faith.

 

Addressing his congregation, Jamiu said the banner was displayed to educate Muslims.

 

He said, “When you come to Lekki Central Mosque, at least you should learn something. You pass by the banners outside, you look here and there, you learn something because Islam treasures knowledge.”

The Imam said all the banners displayed outside the mosque contain Quran and Hadith verses.

 

He said after a photo of one of the banners went viral, he “received calls from the government, local government, and area command appealing to us to please remove the banners because of the festive period.”

 

He said the display of the banners was not to provoke anyone, noting that there’s a difference between propagation of Islam and provocation.

 

“It was not placed there just yesterday. It has been there for about two months or thereabout. We are peace loving people, we don’t provoke anyone. We only propagate our name,” he said.

Jamiu further stated that nobody can monopolise Jesus because Muslims also have what they believe about him as backed by the Quran which calls him Isah.

 

“If you don’t believe in Jesus, you are not a Muslim. We are Muslims and anything we believe must be in consonant with the Quran and the Quran says Jesus Christ is not God, he’s a messenger of God. We quoted this verse in the banner. Is there anything wrong if we paste what we believe on our territory to educate our congregation? It’s a verse of the Quran. This is freedom of religion, freedom of speech,” he said.

 

On the removal of the banner, Jamiu said he received multiple calls ascribing the gesture as cowardice.

 

 

“It is not cowardice. We removed it to let peace reign, to obey our government because we are peace-loving people and also because we know it’s a festive period, people may think it was actually calculated to enrage others. We are going to modify it and put it back. We are not cowards,” he said.

 

The banner has since been replaced with another which says “A

llah is the lord of Jesus.”

 

Why we displayed ‘Jesus Christ is not God’ banner at Lekki mosque -Imam

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CBN fines bank found hoarding cash N150m

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7 hours ago

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December 22, 2024

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CBN fines bank found hoarding cash N150m

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has imposed a N150 million fine on a commercial bank for failing to dispense cash through its Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).

This action follows an unannounced inspection by the apex bank, which uncovered deliberate cash hoarding and ATM manipulation by the erring bank.

Sources within the CBN revealed that the sanctioned bank was caught disabling its ATMs, thereby denying customers access to their funds while prioritizing cash disbursements to select VIP clients.

A staff member of the CBN stressed that the apex bank would not tolerate such practices.

“The Bank will not spare any Deposit Money Bank (DMB) caught in the act of hoarding cash or found favoring VIP customers over other customers,” the official stated.

To this end, the CBN has intensified spot checks on banks nationwide, exposing various illicit cash-handling practices by some unscrupulous financial institutions.

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For now, the CBN is imposing financial penalties on defaulting banks. However, according to the official, the next phase of enforcement will include publicly naming and shaming offending banks and prosecuting implicated bank officials.

“This fine is just the beginning. The CBN is determined to hold banks accountable for any actions that undermine public trust and the integrity of the banking system,” the official added.

Despite the ongoing challenges, the CBN has reiterated its commitment to promoting cashless banking in the country.

Another senior official disclosed that the apex bank’s management is intensifying efforts to encourage the use of electronic channels for transactions.

“The frustration faced by account holders is undermining our push for a cashless economy. We are doubling down on initiatives to restore public confidence in electronic banking solutions,” the official said.

CBN fines bank found hoarding cash N150m

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