Police Arrest Three-Man Car Snatching Syndicate

A three-man car snatching gang has been smashed by the operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) Lagos State Police Command. The suspects are Amuche Chukwuemeka (aged 23), Blessing Idotie 26, and Enwelikwu Santos Peter 25.

According to police authorities, the suspected car snatchers operated on February 4, 2015 at 1st Avenue Festac, in the De Heaven Night Club premises at about 9.28pm.

Police further revealed that a man named Mr. Anthony Okeke, who became their victim, was said to have parked his Toyota Highlander SUV with Registration No. AKD 91 AN and went to urinate. “As he went to urinate, the three suspects sighted him and waited for him to come back to his vehicle. As he made to enter his vehicle one of the suspects, Amuche blocked him and pointed a gun at him, ordering him to cooperate if he did not want to be killed.

The two others entered with the man. The man sat between Blessing Idotie and Santos Peter while Chukwuemeka took over the steering and headed to Second Rainbow Festac Town and gave the man N1000 for transport after collecting all the money on him before pushing him out of the car.

“They also collected two ATM cards, demanded for the pins, which he gave them. They then proceeded to Onitsha, but along Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, the vehicle developed fault.

They decided to use the ATM cards to make withdrawal at FCMB branch the following day where they withdrew N200,000. “After repairing the Jeep, they continued their journey to the East but still within Ijebu-Ode area. Unfortunately for them, they were stopped by Army officers on black spots.

It was there that they were subjected to routine road search and one locally made pistol was found on them. To compound their problem a relation of the car they snatched had earlier received a phone call about the snatched car hence when he sighted the Jeep being searched by the soldiers as he himself was travelling to the east he stopped and went to tell the soldiers about his brother’s snatched Jeep which is exactly the Jeep they were searching when the suspects could not give satisfactory account of the Jeep and the report of the owner’s brother on snatched Jeep.

“We arrested the three suspects and took them to Ijebu Ode police station and later transferred them to Eleweran Police Headquarters Abeokuta, Ogun State. “It was from there the suspects were transferred to the area the offence was committed hence Festac Police station Lagos from where they were transferred to SARS for discreet investigation.

“However, one of the suspects fainted when he was brought before the officer in charge of SARS, a superintendent of police, SP Abba Kyari having been promised that he would not be taken to SARS in Lagos. Confessing the first suspect, Amuche Chukwuemeka said, “I am from Umuguma in Owerri West local government area, Imo State.

I am a student in Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri, Imo state doing Electrical/Electronics Engineering HNDI. My mother is in Lagos while father in Abuja. It is 15years now my parents divorced and we are two boys and one girl. I live in Festac with my mother at 1st Avenue H Close and she is a teacher. I am the gang leader.

“Three of us sat down at Premier Hotel Maza Maza and decided to snatch a car. I provided the gun and I bought it from a cultist named Cigairo and I told him that if he gives me a gun I will join his cult Bukanneers.

I paid him N15,000 to collect the gun. We went to Heaven Club at 1st Avenue and sat down opposite the hotel and observed the man. We did not know the man before. He parked and went to urinate. When we came back I pointed gun at him.

Santos pushed him inside the car. It was around 9.26pm on the 4th February, 2015. We collected N5000 plus, two ATM cards and phones and later gave him N1000 to find his way while we proceed to the East with the jeep. We were arrested by Soldiers when our vehicle developed faults along Ijebu Ode Road.

We were transferred to Ijebu Ode. Later to Eleweran and Festac Division, Lagos. I fainted because they promised us that we would not be taken to lagos SARS. I became a robber as a result of efforts to get money and continue my education as my father abandoned us.

The second suspect Blessing Idotie said: “I am from Yenegoa, Bayelsa state. I live in No. 25, Gbadaru Stret, Maza Maza and my work is PVC ceiling work. I learnt work in 2008.

It was Amuche who handed his gun to me when he took over the steering. I knew Santos as a footballer. I put the victim between myself and Santos. Another suspect, Enwelikwu Santos Peter confessed: “I am from Kwale, Ndokwa south, Ogume village, Delta State.

I play football. I played with Ambros FC at Agboju before joining Mike Ajo FC based at Navy Town, Lagos. We are grassroot team. I live at No. 25 Badaru Street Maza Maza. My mother left the house for me early this year and relocated to Abuja. She is a tenant. My dad is late. I had Secondary School Certificate.

I worked at Cosmosplas company where I am paid N450 daily. I also worked with Bimbo Company, producers of Bimbo soap where I am paid N500 daily. “My father is late and we are four girls and a boy. I am the only son.

We live in one room apartment and flood used to disturb us and we could not look for another room because of financial incapacitation. Even we did not have enough money to feed. Even my sisters that are married are not finding life easy and they are suffering also. I am the forth in line of my family.

The football I do at times we are not paid anything. They only give us pocket money and transport money to come and play match. My role is to search victim. I do the same with Blessing.

Blessing is second in Command. Confirming the report the Command’s spokesman, Ken Nwosu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police warned that the command will not rest until any suspect at large who dared Lagos a centre of Excellence, is arrested.