I was fooled, says suspected receiver of stolen vehicles

Mrs Ubatuegwu and her children last Tuesday, received the shock of their lives when stern looking policemen later identified as those from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Lagos State Police Command Ikeja, stormed their Lape phase II, Ibeju Lekki abode in the company of their bread winner , Mr Israel Ubatuegwu.
The mother of two, was later thrown at her wits end following a starling revelation that her husband of four years was a suspected member of a robbery gang who specialized in snatching vehicles from their unsuspecting owners and selling same at give away prices.
To her further consternation, she was told by the policemen that the nine vehicles brought in to the compound two days earlier were suspected to be stolen.

Israel Ubatuegwu, the suspect and One of the recovered vehicles

The father of two according to the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Samuel Jinadu, was arrested while attempting to drive a Toyota Corolla saloon car suspected to have been stolen by members of his gang,from a hideout at Lape village.
Unknown to him, detectives from SARS led by the Officer-in Charge , Mr Abba Kyari, had laid ambush at the hideout where the suspected stolen vehicle with plate number MR 595 AAA was kept. It was gathered that after about eight hours of waiting, Isarel came to the scene to drive the car away, only to be arrested.
But in this interview with Crime Alert, Isreal denied culpability in the case, stating that the vehicles were kept in his custody by a friend who promised to establish himin a bussiness before the end of this year.
Hear him, “ the cars were brought here by Festus, whom I met in February this year along village road. In the course of our discussion, I told him how desperate I was to get something doing because the cloth business I was into was not functioning well because of lack of fund. He had pity on me and told me point blank that what I was into would not make me a responsible husband and father.
He told me he was into importation and asked if I had a spacious place where he would be parking his vehicles whenever they arrived and I said no. He then instructed me to get a place he would be parking the vehicles and that would also serve as a residential apartment for me. That was how I got this compound all to myself and he paid”
Just like that? asked this writer and he nodded. Continuing, he stated, “ just like that o. He even gave me the sum of N100,000 on January 28, before I moved in. In February, he brought in six cars, promising to come and pick them after four days, which he did.
After that, I never saw him again until last Saturday, when I received a call on my mobile telephone, with him informing me that his goods had landed. This time around, he brought nine vehicles, promising again to come in four days time to pick them. But I was so shocked when the police accosted me, saying the vehicles were stolen”
Asked where the said Festus lived, Israel claimed to be oblivious, saying he had not been to his house. On whether he had contacted him on his mobile telephone since his arrest, he answered in the affirmative lamenting however, that Festus refused to come see him even when he pretended that all was well.
“ I guess he must have got wind of my arrest and has escaped. Festus fooled me because I am poor. I never knew what he was up to and because of poverty, I did not look beyond my nose to at least, ascertain whether the vehicles were stolen or not. It was not until I got to the station that I got to know that the vehicles were stolen. Ah!, will I ever come out of this alive? He asked.
The nine vehicles recovered from his residence included four latest model Toyota Hiace buses with registration numbers XB 251 THE, FC 351 LSR,CX 687 FST and FU 456 EKY; two 2005 model Toyota Corolla Saloon cars with plate numbers EE 278 SMK and FB 695 LSR and two unregistered Toyota Camry Saloon car 2005 Models.
The command spokesman said two suspects mentioned by Israel were still at large, informing that investigation was still in progress with a view to arresting the fleeing suspects and recovering more stolen cars from them.

Source : Vanguard online.