Forty-five-year-old Gbenga Olatunji has revealed why he used to sponsor armed robbers to snatch cars in Kwara and Lagos States. Olatunji, who is married with a child, said it was never his intention to take to crime but was pushed into it by officers of the Nigerian Customs Services. Olatunji’s downfall started after the robbery gang which he used to sponsor snatched a car belonging to one Okechukwu Sunday. The victim reported the incident to detectives attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) Lagos State Command, headed by Mr. Abba Kyari.

According to Sunday, his black Toyota Camry, marked, SMK966CF was snatched by armed robbers. Olatunji was arrested in Lagos on March 11, while another suspect, Lateef Ogunleye, 35, was caught on March 14 in Ilorin. Other members of the gang are yet to be arrested. Ogunleye said he used to buy stolen vehicles from the gang at giveaway prices. A police source said that Olatunji was the supplier of ammunition to the gang. He also provides information on strategic places to carry out their operations. It was also discovered that both men had been on the police wanted list for long.

The police source said, “Ogunleye had been arrested and charged to court three times over similar issue. After he was granted bail, he went back to crime. Olatunji had also been one of the most wanted suspects that the police had long wanted to arrest.” It was also discovered that the suspects usually give N70, 000 to each member of the gang after every successful operation. Police fingered Olatunji as kingpin of the gang. Olatunji confessed that he had been sponsoring robbers for such operation for over six years. He stated that he was initiated into the crime by one Dele, who initially used to sell cars to him at a ridiculously cheap price.

Olatunji said: “Dele used to bring the cars from Cotonu, to sell to me. I sell them in Nigeria. I have lots of buyers. I went into car snatching after four cars, Toyota Camry 2000 model, Toyota Highlander, Toyota Camry 2008 model, Toyota Vensa and Honda Pilot, which Mr. Dele sent to me from across the border were seized by customs officers at the border. They said the cars were contraband because I brought them in through a wrong route.” Olatunji said that he started having problem with the police after Dele was arrested and confessed during interrogation that he was buying stolen cars from the gang.

He said, “The police started hunting for me. When they came to my house in Ibadan, I wasn’t around. They arrested my brother, Bolarin Olatunji, an undergraduate of Kwara State Polytechnic. I tried to secure his bail by giving someone money to facilitate his release, but the person disappeared with my money.” Olatunji was however arrested in Ibadan, Iwo Road on March 13 around 10pm.

Narrating how he was arrested, he said: “I was arrested through Tolani who used to snatch cars for me. Tolani called me, saying he had a car to sell. When I went to meet him at the agreed venue, I didn’t quickly notice that he wasn’t alone in the car. I was uneasy and quickly paid him. I alighted from the car, entered my car and drove off. I didn’t know that the police followed me to watch where I entered. The following day, men from SARS came to arrest me.” Olatunji said it was tough to survive on crime, adding that he could not save money because he was always facing problems from different security agencies. He said he had no permanent home and wished he had focused on sand dredging which he had always wanted to do. Ogunleye, a father of two, said that he sold phones and accessories at Computer Village in Lagos before taking to crime through his friend, Sule, in 2012.

He said, “It was Sule who introduced me to the gang members. I don’t sponsor people to steal cars for me like my colleague, Olatunji. I only buy available stolen cars and sell to people.” He said that even though he didn’t like the job, he could not quit because he wanted to make fast money to meet family responsibilities. “I had to look for an alternative means to augment my usual business. Within the first two years I started the business, I made up to N3 million. The first car I bought was a Toyota Camry. I bought it at N2 million from Femi, now in Kirikiri Prison over similar issue. I sold the car for N2.5 million.” He said that he travelled to South Africa in 2013 and stayed for 11 months, hoping to start a new life there. He confessed that he left for South Africa after he became aware that the police were hunting for him.

“My friend Daniel in Nigeria used to give me information about the police’s hunt for me. Daniel later called and told me that the officer in charge of SARS, Abba Kyari, was coming to South Africa to look for me. I was at Pito then, I immediately ran to Shanshaguvi, a village in South Africa.” He claimed that he tried to get a job and settled down in South Africa, but had issues with his passport.














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Posted: at 25-04-2015 08:04 AM (9 years ago) | Addicted Hero

Posted: at 25-04-2015 08:23 AM (9 years ago) | Hero

No hiding place for the wicked

Posted: at 25-04-2015 08:58 AM (9 years ago) | Hero

Too bad

Posted: at 25-04-2015 09:20 AM (9 years ago) | Hero

Now Job don Knock Engine, Motor no move again, so wetin una go do na! No Peace 4 illegal activities dats y i refuse doin Yahoo Yahoo cos u are always watching, Running n hiding, No rest of Mind.

Posted: at 25-04-2015 01:02 PM (9 years ago) | Upcoming

man go huzle buy moto u go snatcham abi.
ole

Posted: at 25-04-2015 01:49 PM (9 years ago) | Gistmaniac

 

Posted: at 26-04-2015 09:48 PM (9 years ago) | Addicted Hero

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