Mr Collins Okafor, 27, has been
arrested by detectives attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS),
Ikeja, Lagos State Command for allegedly conniving with his friends to snatch an
Uber driver’s car.
Okafor was arrested along with Ibrahim
Tijani, 31, Sadiq Oyenuga 34, Ayoage Agoke 25, and John Okpe 26. The police are
however hunting for one Michael and girlfriend Joy, who are both at large. Michael was alleged to have led the gang in
snatching the car.
According to the police, Joy was the
person that booked the Uber taxi online, after which she and other gang members
snatched the car at the Lekki area.
The suspects were later arrested at
different locations within the state and the car recovered from where it was
parked in Okafor’s home.
The Lagos State Commissioner of
Police, Mr Edgal Imohimi, explained that Michael instructed his girlfriend to
book an Uber Taxi online. Michael and his gang members later snatched the car
at gunpoint from the driver.
The driver of the car reported the
stolen vehicle to Maroko Police Station. Policemen went after the fleeing
robbers and recovered the car. The car was snatched on January 19, around
4:30pm.
Imohimi said: “Due to intelligence gathering
on the part of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO),in charge of Moroko Police
Station, the car was not only recovered, but five suspects were arrested.”
Okafor, also an Uber driver, who
masterminded the operation, leaving Michael to lead the operation on the
fateful day, said: “The car I drive was given to me by someone. One day the
owner threatened to collect his car because I defaulted in payment.”
Okafor continued: “In order to
remain in business, I contracted my friends to assist me to snatch a car from
another Uber driver. I promised to pay them as soon as I started making money
using the vehicle as a driver. When I
told my friends about the plan, they accepted. I didn’t know when and how to go
about the operation. On the fateful day they wanted to snatch the car, Michael
called me to come. He said that I should use the car with me to give other gang
members a ride. When we got to a particular area in Lekki, Michael’s girlfriend,
Joy, went to meet the driver of the car, which she booked online.”
Other gang members joined Joy and
soon snatched the car from the bewildered driver and zoomed off. Another
suspect, Agoke, confessed that it was Michael who contracted him through Okafor
to steal the car.
Agoke noted: “Before we departed
from Michael’s house, some of us were asked to sit in Collins’ car. Soon,
Michael’s wife went to the Uber driver, which she booked online. Others
followed and they brought out a gun and collected the car from the driver. I
was assigned to drive the stolen car. We took the car to Collins’ compound. Collins
promised to give me money, but didn’t mention the amount. What he told us was
that his boss wanted to collect the car he was using for business; therefore,
he needed another car, which was why he ran to us to assist him. He said that
he didn’t have money to buy a car.”
Agoke however added that he was
arrested after the stolen car was tracked to Okafor’s compound.
Stating his own side of the story, Oyenuga
explained that he was arrested by the police who thought that Michael was with
him.
Oyenuga said: “I was at home when
the policemen came to arrest me. I was asked to take them to Michael’s house.
When we got there, we didn’t find him, but his elder brother was arrested
and taken to the command. I don’t know anything about armed robbery.”
Okpe, another alleged member,
explained that he was with Okafor’s in his car and that they were going to the
club, but along the way, things took a different turn.
Okpe said: “I was inside Collins’
car. After they collected the car, they zoomed off. It was when they were speeding away that I
asked them why they were running. I was told to shut up. We kept the car in
Collins’ house. The police later came to arrest me.”
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