Police burst robbery gang which targets Toyota cars

Juliana Francis

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a three-man gang of armed robbers which specializes in snatching Toyota Camry cars.

The suspects said they were specially recruited by a ‘god father,’ identified as Ibadan to snatch Toyota Camry cars, after which the man would pay them off and collect the cars.

According to them, Ibadan always ordered to snatch Toyota Camry cars, because, ‘it’s in hot demand.’

They however used to reluctantly settle for snatching other cars, whenever fate did not provide them the opportunity to snatch Toyota Camry cars.

The suspects, named as Toibu Oyeyinka, 24, Jamiu Agboola, 20, and Lanre Otunola 18, confessed that on December, 13, 2013, they  snatched a Honda Acura MDX Jeep, 2013 model with registration number AKD 09 AA grey colour and a Toyota Highlander Jeep, silver colour with registration number AGL 327 CD.

Revealing that the name of their god father is Ibadan, they said that Ibadan had approached Otunola and commissioned him to snatch two Toyota Camry cars.

Ibadan further explained that there was a hot demand for Toyota Camry cars.

According to them, Ibadan had told them money would not be a problem as he already had a market for the cars.

Otunola discussed with his friends, Toibu and Jamiu and they took to the idea like duck to water.

They could not get Toyota Camry cars but succeeded in stealing two jeeps; one Honda Acura MDX Jeep, 2013 model and the other, a Toyota Highlander Jeep.

The suspects were however arrested on December 15, 2013 while trying to sell the cars.

 The command revealed that the police are still on the trail of the fleeing Ibadan, but had succeeded in recovering the vehicles.

Police spokesman, Ngozi Braide said the arrest of the suspects was due to the strong relationship between members of the public and the Nigeria Police Force.

Braide said: “On December, 15, 2013, the officer in charge of SARS, SP Abba Kyari received information that there were vehicles parked at Market Street, Oyingbo Area of Lagos suspected to be stolen. The OC SARS moved his detectives to the scene and on getting there; they saw the vehicles, one Honda Acura MDX Jeep, 2013 model with registration number AKD 09 AA grey colour and a Toyota Highlander Jeep, silver colour with registration number AGL 327 CD.

“The detectives laid ambush for the suspects for 24 hours after which the suspects were arrested at the point of taking the vehicles to their respective buyers. The suspects confessed that the vehicles were stolen two days before their arrest and that they already have buyers waiting to collect the vehicles from them.”

Leader of the gang, Toibu Oyeyinka said he had participated in two other robberies, but denied shooting anyone.

Oyeyinka said: “I am the one who used to handle gun during operation but I have never shot or killed anybody before. I am not the owner of the guns. The guns are owed by one of our area brothers called Elegba. I am not a serial robber. I have only robbed three times. The first time we robbed inside Ajegunle and we only collected phones and laptop. The second time was Ajegunle too but we did not get anything that day while the third one was the one that led to our arrest.”

Jamiu on his part said he would not have joined in the robbery but for his desperate need of money to take care of his freedom.  He said he was an apprentice vulcanizing and needed money to mark his graduation and buy tools to start off his own trade.