By Ikhili Monday EBALU, Benin City
The long hands of the law on Wednesday caught up with a suspected notorious car thief who was identified simply as Omobude, after he broke into a black Camry car parked in front of a bank along and began driving it away.
The owner of the car marked Edo UBJ 800 AA, Godstime Okosun, said to be an operative of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), was said to have gone into the bank, situated along Mission Road, in Benin, for some transaction, after parking his car in front of the bank.
It was gathered that as soon as he came out of the bank, he discovered that his car was no longer where he parked it, but was surprised to see it being driven away a few meters away.
When he raised an alarm, people around the place who saw the car being driven away, rushed to the road and forced the car to a halt and apprehended the suspect.
An eyewitness to the incident who gave his name simply as Ferdinand, said the suspected car thief who should be in his 60s, confessed that he has been stealing cars for some people who pay him N30, 000 for each Camry he steals for them.
He further said that when policemen who were invited arrived the scene of the incident, they asked him, “you again?”, an indication he is known to the police.
“The man opened the car door and the ignition with two pieces of iron rod forged into keys and was driving it away.
“When the owner came out of the bank and shouted “thief,” people around the place rushed into the road and forced him to stop. He was thereafter arrested and handed over to policeman who was invited.
“He confessed the he has been stealing cars for some people who pay him N30, 000 for each car he steals for them,” Ferdinand related.
When our correspondent arrive the scene of the incident, the suspect was seen being driven away in a police van in company of the owner of the car.
Several phone calls made to the State Police Command Spokesman, Moses Nkombe, for confirmation of the incident went unanswered.
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