End Of The Road For Mosque Car Robbers

They allegedly stole a whopping N1million Mohammed kept in his car after they had trailed him from the bank, where he had gone to withdraw the money.

The victim said immediately he went into the mosque to pray at about 2pm, his car security alarm started, which alerted him that his car was being tampered with.

“I had gone to Skye Bank to withdraw the money to pay some workers who I was helping somebody to supervise his building construction at Lekki, after leaving the bank, it was about time for me to pray. So, before heading back to Lekki, I stopped by at the NASFAT mosque in Alausa to pray. It was not up to five minutes later that the alarm of my car started ringing.

At first, I ignored it, but it kept ringing. That was how I decided to check the car. When I looked out of the mosque window, I saw a man in a white long-sleeved shirt entering my car and immediately, I started shouting for people to help as my car was about to be driven away by thieves.”

At this time, the burglers had succeeded in removing the money and had escaped into a waiting vehicle. Luck, however, ran out on them, when some anti-robbery policemen from the Alausa police station, who were on patrol, responded after receiving a distress call. They chased the car, which was driving in top speed and overpowered them.

Other members of the gang escaped but the police arrested Ike and Ogwu and also recovered the N1millon with the master key they used in carrying out the operation.

Ogwu is said to be the brain behind the crime and he confessed that it was hardship, which drove him into the nefarious act. “I am a secondary school dropout, I was working with an engineering company but the company later packed up. That was how I went to Wharf and stated working there as a wharf rat. It was there I knew how to break into cars. I met Ike at Ajegunle, he used to be an international businessman but told me that things were rough for him. That was how we started breaking into cars.

“Sometimes we trail people from banks and other times we go to where cars are packed and we monitor the people, we know those who have things in their cars by the way they behave. They will make such that the car is well locked, and will be looking around to ensure that nobody is watching them. That way, we know those who have valuables in their cars and they are the people we rob,” the suspect confessed.

He added that they have used the master key, to rob more than 20 cars before he was arrested. Ike, who also confessed to the crime, said he had carried out more than 10 car burglary operations with his gang members and had made more than N60,000 from various robberies.

“I am a novice in this business, I used to export foodstuff like palm oil, egusi and others foodstuff to Europe, but I was duped. So, I wanted to get some money to continue with my business, which was why I joined this business. I am ashamed of myself.”

Police spokesman, Frank Mba, said people should take extra measures in securing their cars.

Mohammed, however, commended the police for their timely intervention. “I do not know how the police did it but they are too good, the Nigerian police is the best in the world, they responded on time and arrested the thieves and they gave me back all my money. In short, I am very happy with the police.”