Businessmen Arrested For ‘Stealing’ Spare Parts In Lagos

after a search was conducted on the abandoned car, some auto parts and a number plate, AAA 472 CP, which belonged to one Suleiman Waheed, were recovered.

Oti said, “The police patrol team, led by the Area Commander, Area D Command, Mushin, ACP Akinbayo Olasoji, stopped the Honda Accord, owned and driven by Pius Ebere, an auto parts dealer in Ladipo market, for a routine check; but instead of allowing the police do their job, the man escaped into the night. The vehicle was towed away to the station and the runaway suspect was eventually arrested.

“The following items, engraved with number plate, AAA 472 CP, believed to have been stolen from a vehicle, were recovered from the suspect: two headlamps, car stereo, four side door automatic control panels, brain box, side mirrors and four rear seats. Investigation revealed that the items were stolen from a Lexus GX 472 SUV, belonging to one Suleiman Waheed. He has been contacted and he affirmed that the recovered items were parts of his car vandalised in the Ekoro area of the state.

“Other items recovered from the suspect’s car include: five brain boxes of Toyota and Lexus vehicles, four car stereos, a pair of Toyota Corolla 2011 rear lights, a pair of Toyota Corolla 2011 headlamps, three pairs of side mirrors and one front grill cover of Infinity Jeep. All recovered items are engraved with plate numbers by their various owners who had been contacted by the police to report with proof of ownership.”

The PPRO said investigation conducted into the case led to the arrest of the suspect’s accomplice, Attah – also an auto parts dealer in the Ladipo market.

He added that the state Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, had adviced Lagosians to engrave their number plates on their vehicle parts to expose burglars.

Oti said, “When Attah’s shop in Ladipo auto spare parts market was searched, various types of suspected stolen car parts were recovered.

“It is the advice of the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Imohimi Edgal, that vehicle owners should engrave their registration numbers on their vehicle parts to discourage vandals and predispose them to arrest by the police.

“Recall that exactly two months before the latest incident, on Sunday, August 12, 2018, another auto parts dealer from the same Ladipo market, Daniel Ekwerekwu, was confronted by a police patrol team from Anthony Police Division as he was vandalising cars parked on the streets of Mende-Maryland. His attempt to evade police arrest ended fatally, as his effort to scale a high wall led to his death.”