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How it takes me two minutes to steal vehicle’s brain box, by suspect

By Odita Sunday
26 August 2019   |   4:02 am
Operatives of the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad (RRS), a unit of the state police command, have arrested two suspects, who specialised in vandalising vehicles and stealing their brain boxes.

The suspects

Operatives of the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad (RRS), a unit of the state police command, have arrested two suspects, who specialised in vandalising vehicles and stealing their brain boxes.

The suspects, Sodiq Musa, aged 28 and Saidu Atiku, 34, were arrested at No. 27, Awolowo road Ikeja with three Toyota vehicle brain boxes while Ridwan Adamu escaped with the fourth box.One of the suspects, Musa, claimed he was a graduate of Political Science from a Nigerian university where he studied Political Science before he came to Lagos in 2017 in search of greener pasture.

“I worked in Lagos as a barbeque man in various hotels and event centres before I met Ridwan who introduced me to brain box theft where he taught me all the antics and styles. We use ‘magic stone’ that is, vehicle spark plug to break vehicle windows without attracting attention. It takes two minutes to loose a Toyota Hiace bus brain box and it takes four minutes to lose a Toyota Hilux brain box.

“The spark plug reduces the noise and effects quick break of any vehicle window and we tie the plug in a handkerchief in a situation where we have multiple vehicles to work on.”

In his confessional statement to the RRS, Musa told the officers that Atiku was a security guard who works for a company located on that street where they were arrested and had earlier in the day called him, who is the leader of the team, to come feast on vehicles belonging to their company, which are parked outside the company’s premises, but which he, Atiku is supposed to guard.

On getting the hint, Musa and Atiku got to the venue at about 1:00a.m. They broke into two Toyota Hiace and two Toyota Hilux vehicles belonging to the company that employed Atiku as night guard. It was another security guard nearby that raised the alarm, which led to their arrest. Musa was caught with three brain boxes while Ridwan fled with one.

Musa was thereafter taken to the RRS headquarters, where he confessed to the act. He disclosed that he invited the suspects for the operation and was reported to have slept beside the vehicles, which they vandalised and stole from while Atiku cooperated by pretending like nothing was happening.

“We specialised in stealing Toyota brain boxes because they fetch good money in the market. The demand for them is higher than any other brand. We sell a Toyota Hiace bus brain box for N40,000 while that of Toyota Hilux goes for N20,000.

“Ridwan connects with the buyers who he claimed are from the popular spare part market in Lagos, Ladipo Market. We always meet the buyers outside the market where we exchange our loots for cash. They usually pay in cash and will never wait more than two minutes as we already have an understanding on the prices”.

“Ridwan gives me 40 per cent of whatever we make from the sale of our loots. Our target areas are usually night clubs where people come with different types of vehicles. We strike around 1:00a.m. and 2:00a.m. when most of the clubbers would have started enjoying themselves,” he narrated.The Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muazu, directed the transfer of the case to State CID, Panti. He advised night clubbers in the state to be extra careful while enjoying themselves by not leaving their vehicles parked where it is not safe.

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