Couple leads gang that steal cars at churches, wedding, parties

A MAN AND HIS WIFE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED. THE COUPLE USED TO VISIT CATHOLIC, REDEEMED CHURCHES AND WEDDING RECEPTIONS TO STEAL CARS. THEY USED TO DRESS AS GUESTS OR CHURCH MEMBERS....

Detectives attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, Lagos State Police Command have arrested a husband and wife who are the brains behind some car thieves popularly known as the ‘Catholic Church Car Thieves.’

The couple specializes in using master keys to remove vehicles from churches premises.

In Our Lady Of Fatima Catholic Church, Aguda, Surulere, they had removed four vehicles. The gang also used to target Redeemed Churches, wedding receptions and other occasions.

The couple has been identified as Mr. Julius Olaiya and Mrs. Olaiya. Mr. Olaiya is also addressed by people as Pastor.

It is however unsure whether he’s pastoring a church or it’s just a mere nickname. Detectives have asked him, but he denied being a real pastor.

One Idowu Fatai has also been arrested along with the couple. Detectives are now hunting for another member of the gang, alleged to be the son of a popular royal father in Lagos State.

According to the police, the son of the royal father had been on police wanted list for long.

A police source said that the keys used in removing cars from where they are parked, were manufactured by Pastor.

After his arrest, Pastor told police that he bought a knife and filed it into a key.

Revealing the couple modus operandi, a police source said: “Pastor would go to Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church Aguda, with his wife. They would go into the church like genuine members and few minutes before closing time, the wife would come out of the church. She’ll look for any car, parked in a way that would be easy to drive out.

“She’ll attempt to open the door. If no one challenges her, she’ll know that the owner is not near. She’ll stand close to it and by the time the Priest says Peace of Love to one another, the husband would come outside, holding a bunch of key. Once he sees his wife close to any vehicle, he would know that was the targeted car.

“He’ll now walk towards her like a servant. Once she sighted him, she would start insulting and cursing him, acting like he was her driver. He’ll quickly use the master key to open the door, while apologizing profusely. Part of the game was for her to be gorgeously dressed. Once he opens the door, she would enter the back seat; he would enter the driver’s seat and drive away.”

The couple claimed that they had only done it four times at the Catholic Church, but detectives believed it was more than that.

Pastor said he had actually wanted to try a fifth time at the church, but did not succeed because, “the vehicle he stole, had a security. It stopped on the way as he was escaping. He and his wife abandoned it,” said a cop.

SARS operatives have since discovered that the gang used to take every stolen vehicle to Ladipo Spare part Market by Toyota, Oshodi Bus Stop for dismantling.

The gang members said that it doesn’t take the men at Ladipo Market up to five minutes to dismantle a vehicle.

Pastor told the police that he used to avoid flashy cars because he discovered many of them had inbuilt security, which can immobilize the vehicle.

“They sell Camry car for N250, 000, depending on how neat it is. Pastor said he had not sold any Camry beyond N400, 000,” said another police source.

According to Pastor, he and his wife used to operate alone before they welcomed Fatai into the gang.

Fatai is one of those who used to assist the couple to dismantle vehicles at Ladipo.

He became a member of the gang after he asked Pastor while he finds it difficult to bring cleaner looking cars. Pastor confessed to him that most of the clean cars had inbuilt security. Fatai told him that he could disable any type of security.

A source said: “Immediately Fatai joined, their first attempt was at a Redeemed Church, located at Adeniji Jones, where they moved a Rave4.”

Before the gang attempts to move any vehicle, they carry out surveillance on an area to know the easiest route of escape.

On the day they went to the Redeemed Church, Fatai was the one watching for prey. The owner of the Rave4 and his kids went into the church and Fatai followed, to know where they would sit.

When the service was about to start proper, Pastor used his phone to flash Fatai. It was a signal for Fatai to step out of the church. Fatai pointed to the Rave4 and walked away.

He went to Jolly Friend Hotel to wait.

“Within seconds, Pastor came to the hotel to pick Fatai. They passed through Seriki Arron Street, maneuvered and came out of Awolowo Way. It was at GRA, Akinjobi Street, that the vehicle stopped,” said a police source. “Fatai quickly dismantled the security and within minutes they were at Ladipo. The Rave4 was sold for N600, 000. But they had only collected N400, 000 before they were arrested.”

Fatai said he did not know the numbers of car pastor and his wife had stolen. But that he and pastor had stolen more than 15 cars.

Revealing how the gang also used to steal vehicles at wedding receptions, Fatai reportedly said: “We’ll dress like guests to attend the event. We watch as People Park their vehicles and monitor the particular spots they would sit. I go into the reception with the car owners, while Pastor stays at the car park.

“If the people who came in the targeted vehicle are not complete on the table, we would not make a move. Once Pastor moves the car, he’ll alert me. We’ll meet at a designated venue.”

The police explained that the last three vehicles stolen by the gang were sold by Fatai. The three cars are; End of Discussion, Toyota CRV and Camry.

Fatai said he sold them to a car dealer at Abeokuta, adding that the buyer had not paid him.

The gang met its waterloo after it stole a car belonging to a couple who went to Oke-Arin, Lagos Island Market to buy lace materials.

The gang tailed the couple from Island to Mushin and watched as they left the Honda Baby Boy Car and walked into a building.

They quickly moved the car. Barely minutes after, the wife of the owner of the car came out to pick something in the car and couldn’t find it.

She alerted her husband, who alerted the tracking company he registered the car with.

The tracking company called the police, alerting them that the vehicle was heading towards Ogun State, through Sango-Ota.

Policemen from Sango Police Station waited on the highway for the gang. They were arrested. The car was handed to the owners.

Fatai confessed that they were taking the car to a buyer at Ogun State, who is the son of the royal father.

At Our Lady of Fatima’s Catholic Church Aguda Surulere Lagos, our correspondent met with the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the church, who pleaded anonymity. He confirmed that a young man, who was not a member of the church, was apprehended last month trying to use master car keys to unlock one of the church members’ car. The CSO stated that the suspect was handed over to the police for further interrogation.

Another member of the church, Mr. Obioha, said the church was aware of such incidents, adding that since the young man was arrested, nothing of such had occurred again.

The Ladipo Central Executives Auto Dealers Association (LACEC) said trader in the market buys stolen cars. The Spokesperson for the market, Mr. Onyeka Igwe said most of the parts they sell to customers were imported. He also denied knowing any Fatai.

 He added: “I cannot claim that everybody here is a saint. We still have some bad elements. But if such a person is caught, he would be handed over to the police immediately.”

He said that traders who want to buy scraps had been advised to always make sure they get change of ownership and affidavit from the owner of the vehicles before bringing it to the market.

When the Police spokesman, Kenneth Nwosu was contacted about the arrest of the couple on Monday, he promised to get back to the journalist, but as at press time, he had not.