A suspected car thief, Rotimi Akinsanoye, told the men of the Ondo State Police Command that he had stolen six cars before the long arm of the law caught up with him and members of his gang.
Akinsanoye and two of his gang, namely Temidayo Folajimi and Waheed Adekanmbi, were arrested for car theft, selling, and buying of stolen vehicles by the state police command.
Akinsanoye, 38, who blamed frustration in the Nigeria polity for his resulting to crime, said he could use any available key to kickstart any car that he wanted to steal. He said he had stolen six cars butchered five before his arrest.
Parading the three-man gang on Monday, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Wilfred Afolabi, explained that Akinsanoye usually picked vehicles from where they are parked outside their premises or on the road.
Afolabi said after stealing the vehicles with his master keys, Akinsanoye would then deliver them to Folajimi and usually sell them out to auto parts sellers in Owode Onirin. It was Adekanmbi, who would cut them into different parts and sell them off to unsuspected customers.
The police boss said the suspects confessed to removing two Toyota Camrys, Popularly known as Tiny Light, one Honda CRV car, two Toyota Corollas 2003 and 2005 models, and two Toyota Corollas from where they parked.
He, however, said two of the vehicles had been recovered while five others had been butchered and disposed of as spare parts by Adekanmbi in Lagos.
The Police Boss said, “A case of car theft (removed from a park) at Oke Aro, Akure, was reported to the Police, and the vehicle was flagged down at the Licensing office. Two weeks ago, the vehicle was presented for registration at the Licensing Office,e, and the police were alerted.
“The man who came to register the car claimed he purchased the vehicle in Lagos at the rate of N4.3m from a car dealer by the name Temidayo Folajimi ‘M’ age 43 years who led the police to one Rotimi Akinsanoye ’m’ age 38 years.
“During interrogation, Rotimi confessed that he is the mastermind behind most vehicles stolen (removal from Parks) and confessed to having moved a total of seven vehicles out of the state.
“Also, Waheed Adekanbi ‘m’ age 51 years is in custody, helping the police with the necessary information needed to confirm the veracity of the claim that the remaining vehicles have been destroyed and sold as spare parts”
The Police Boss, however, issued a stern warning to members of the public who use tinted windows or obscure their vehicle number plates.
He stressed that such actions provide cover for criminals to carry out illicit activities. “In light of the investigation, we strongly advise against the use of tinted glasses or covering vehicle plates. Anyone caught engaging in these practices will be arrested, and their car impounded,”
He noted that criminals are increasingly exploiting these methods to carry out their crimes and emphasized the need to clamp down on such practices.
He called on vehicle owners to secure their cars with tracking devices as soon as they are purchased, saying “If tracking devices are too costly, a better car lock should suffice. These measures will go a long way in discouraging car theft and helping to frustrate the efforts of criminals,”
The police chief urged members of the public to stay vigilant and cooperate with law enforcement to curb rising criminal activities in the state.
