Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of Lagos
State Police Command, over the weekend, arrested one Jamiu Bello, 26, who
specializes in motorcycle theft, popularly known as ‘okada’ in virtually all
the states in the South West. The suspect was arrested by the RRS operatives
while trying to steal a motorcycle with the registration number, KTU 388 QG,
belonging to Israel Ikyav, a commercial rider at Ijora Olopa, Lagos.
According to the victim, "I parked my okada beside a
canteen around Ijora. As I entered the canteen to eat, I noticed people outside
were chasing one guy…. One of my colleagues rushed inside the canteen to call
me that my okada had been stolen by one guy. I left the full plate of food I
ordered for and joined them in chasing him…. if not for RRS operatives' riders,
the suspect would have made away with my bike. We knew that we could not catch
up with him because he was far ahead of us with the bike already…. I quickly
alerted the RRS riders, who were patrolling the area about the incident. And,
immediately, they chased the suspect with their bikes…. After so much effort,
they double - crossed him with their bikes…. at this point, the thief abandoned
the bike and he tried to escape on foot and then with another motor cyclist
before he was arrested."
The suspect, a father of three children, gave account on
how he has been stealing bikes in states across the South-West: "I started
this crime about two years ago. There were two of us and we operated in Lagos,
Ogun, Oyo, Ekiti and Ondo States…. my accomplice whose name is Ibijuwon is
currently serving a jail term in Kirikiri Prison…. The day we went for an
operation where he was arrested, it was around Lagos Island, I managed to
escape with a stolen bike while he was arrested and subsequently taken to the
court where he was eventually sentenced to jail."
He further explained, "on this fateful day, I left
Epe to Yaba area. On getting to Yaba, I looked around to know how to start the
day's job there but I couldn’t find any motorcycle to steal around the area…. Then,
I decided to move to Ijora-Olopa with the hope of stealing any bike on sight. I
contracted a commercial motorcycle from Yaba to Ijora…. at Ijora, I saw this
man (his victim) when he parked his bike outside and entered the canteen. I
noticed that he had locked its steering. So, I quickly asked the rider who took
me from Yaba that I wanted to alight to see my brother briefly in that area,
unknown to him that I had a sinister motive".
The suspect added "I moved closer to the bike and
broke its locked steering. Then I mounted it and zoomed off…. Meanwhile, I had
abandoned the commercial rider who brought me to the area. When I was on the
bike, I thought I had escaped. Suddenly, I saw two RRS motorcycles pursuing me.
I sped off but I was so unlucky they caught up with me despite the fact that I over
sped…. I attempted to escape by joining another motorcyclist, yet I was caught
again, that was how I gave up."
While confessing to the crime at the RRS's Headquarters,
the suspect revealed that his two receivers of stolen motorcycles are based in Lagos.
He explained, "I have stolen no fewer than 20 motorcycles across South
West. If I go to other states apart from Lagos to operate, I will ride the bike
down to Lagos to sell here…. I have two receivers of these stolen bikes. One of
them lives at Alamutu in Mushin while the other is in Ijora…. I sold one
motorcycle for N40,000 depending on how clean they looked."
The suspect whose body was filled with scars noted that
they were as a result of the injuries from his past criminal activities. "All
these scars on my body were healed injuries inflicted on me by mob actions
anytime I was caught stealing motorcycles. I am just an unrepentant thief
because I was supposed to have changed my way of life," he said.
The State's Police Public Relations Officer,
Superintendent of Police, SP Dolapo Badmus, who confirmed the incidence, said
that efforts are ongoing to arrest the receivers of the stolen motorcycles. She
said that the suspect will be charged to court upon completion of the
investigation.
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