A 33-year-old suspect, Olawasegun Oladimeji, arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad of the Lagos State Police Command for vandalising Toyota cars in Victoria Island, has confessed that an auto spare parts dealer at the Ladipo International Market usually specified the brand of cars he should vandalise.
The suspect, who is a barber by profession, was arrested in Lekki last week by the RRS officials, barely six weeks after he was released from Kirikiri Prisons, Lagos. Oladimeji, according to reports, had just vandalised some vehicles around Lekki, when he was apprehended by the RRS’ patrol team.
Several body parts of Toyota Corolla and mobile phones, which he allegedly stole from the garage guards, who were sleeping when he broke in, were found in his possession. The suspect disclosed that he was released from prison in November 2016, three months after he was convicted for removing Toyota body parts in another garage in Apapa in July 2016.
According to him, “Oga Dona (auto parts dealer) has my number. He would call to give me the type of vehicle body parts that are on high demand in the market. He would tell me to get them for him.
“I have been working for him now for eight years. I steal different vehicle body parts, particularly, Toyota products. I removed Toyota Corolla brain box, headlight, rear light, buttons, etc.
“Since I came back from prison in November, 2016, I have stolen brain-boxes of 47 cars. My targets are Toyota products. Whenever I’m going on operations, he is the one that gives me transport money.
Most times, he tells me the specifications of the car he wants me to operate on. “I live in Marwa, Victoria Island. I had surveyed the company earlier in the day and I knew those cars belonged to that company. At about 4:00 am, after operation, I had removed all I needed to remove.
The security sighted me and raised the alarm. They started chasing me. Unfortunately for me, RRS officers were patrolling. They sighted me, pursued me with their vehicle and arrested me. Oladimeji added; “I gained entry into the cars by breaking one of the small glasses at the back.
After I might have got all those parts, I would call Oga Dona, who would tell me where to meet any of his boys for the collection of the parts.”
