One Ojo Azeez(32), a member of a three-man gang allegedly involved in using master keys to start and steal cars from car parks, has told the trial court that he was schooled in prison on a more serious crime.
Ojo, who was sent to Kirikiri prison in 2018 for six months for stealing a battery, regretted that the experience didn’t reform him.
Ojo was said to have been arrested by operatives of the Inspector-General of police Intelligence Response Team on October 18, 2019 at Okokomaiko, Ojo area of Lagos following an intelligence report that members of a car-snatching gang were living in an uncompleted building in the area.
A source also revealed that two members of his gang are already cooling their heels in the cell of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of Lagos state police command for car snatching.
During his confession, Ojo said, “I am from Oyo Township, Oyo State but was born and raised in Lagos. I finished my Senior Secondary School class three and learnt motor electrical work due to lack of employment in Lagos and the death of my father. My mother sells provisions and I decided to live in an uncompleted building at Onireke bus stop area, opposite Ojo Barracks because I could not afford the money to rent a room. I was getting like N1,000, N1,200 or even N500 some days and that made me steal battery of the vehicle the owner called me to repair last year.
“Unfortunately, I was arrested, charged to court and sentenced to six months imprisonment at Kirikiri prison.
“In the prison, inmates narrated what brought each of them to prison. When I narrated how and what brought me to prison, one inmate named Kazeem from Epe sympathised with me and promised to educate me in crime better when we come out of prison. He taught me how to steal a car with a master key.”
“We have successfully operated four times but they did not give me reasonable money. At times they will dispose of a car for N400,000, N1.2million and end up giving me N25,000, N15,000 or even N10,000. They are greedy people. At times they will not give me a kobo claiming that they have not seen a buyer.”
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“We are a three-man gang namely me, Kazeem and Seun but two of them are presently with SARS in Lagos police headquarters Ikeja. My role in stealing or car snatching work is to help drive the stolen car to any spot the gang leader directs me. Later I join Seun in his car and go home.
“I regret being involved in this mess. We are five born by my mother and all are happily married and I am the only thief among them.
“My mother is not aware that I am a thief not to talk of my being arrested. Nobody has come to ask why I was detained for two weeks now. I swear in the name of God, if I am released I will never steal again.”
