I didn’t know the cars were stolen says Pastor

A man of God, who was arrested along with four robbers, have declared that he was not a robber, adding that he used to collect vehicles from the men at giveaway prices, unaware they were bandits who specialize in car snatching.

 The pastor, Taiwo Afolabi and his four partners in crime, allegedly snatched and sold vehicles to already waiting buyers.

Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Victor Babayemi, said Afolabi and his gang members were arrested along Igbaraodo-Ogotun Road after they could not give satisfactory accounts of themselves.
Babayemi said: “Upon investigation by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad(SARS), it was discovered that the gang ran a car-snatching syndicate. The police recovered a green Toyota Camry car marked ET 241 AAA, brown Toyota Camry car marked, KSF 634 AX, Nissan Cabstar, marked EKY 973 XH and another Nissan Cabstar marked FST 621 XM.
“The leaders of the group, Wasiu Sola and Abdukareem Ganiyu, are based in Ibadan and specialised in robbery and car snatching.”
Stating his own side of the story, Afolabi said: “I got to know Wasiu and Abdukareem  in Ibadan and had since been receiving cars from them. I give such vehicles to Ajilumo Emmanuel, a car dealer, to sell. I have never asked them where or how they used to get the vehicles. I could not sell the last car they brought. I couldn’t sell it because the engine was faulty and we could not dispose it quickly.”
The youngest suspect, paraded by the police is Raji Babatunde. He is just 17 and was arrested during a robbery operation at Okesa Area of Ado-Ekiti by men of the Swift Response Squad.

The suspect was arrested after the police responded to a distressed call from some victims.
Babatunde and his gang stormed a house at Okesa Area of Ado-Ekiti and gained access into it by breaking down the door with a big stone. They descended on the occupants and inflicted severe machete cuts on them.
Babayemi, who  stated that the timely intervention of SARS men prevented the victims from being killed by the gang, added that SARS operatives halted the flight of Babatunde  by shooting his leg after he and his gang attempted to escape at the sight of the pursuing police.

Another suspect, Tope Adedayo (aka See War), was also paraded by the police alongside two others; Dele Olalusi and Olabanji Tolulope. They were alleged to have threatened  some Igbo traders operating at the Atikankan Area of Ado-Ekiti and extorting money from them.

NEW TELEGRAPH