Why we sold Highlander, Camry for N200, 000, by suspect

Detectives attached to the Lagos State Police Command, have smashed a gang that specialised in using their operational car to block victims’ vehicles on the expressway, in order to rob them.....


The police said it arrested just two members of the gang, while still hunting four others.

The two suspects in police net are Usman Musa, 28 and Garba. But Garba has vehemently denied being a member of the gang. He described himself as a trader, dealing in buying and selling of jewelry.

According to him, he didn’t know that the jewelry he bought from Musa were stolen ones. Before the gang was smashed, it had already snatched several vehicles. Musa confessed that they sold two of the cars, a Toyota Camry and Highlander Jeep for just N200, 000.

According to Musa, the gang’s specialty was to block cars on the expressway at night and dispossess occupants of valuables. The members however decided to change trade when it became clear they were enriching their receivers, instead of themselves. Musa said: “Whenever we snatched vehicles and sell to receivers, they would pay part payment, promising to bring the balance later.

But they would later disappear. They wouldn’t pick their calls and we wouldn’t get our money.” He said that it was after such experiences that the gang members decided to steal only valuables from motorists on the highway. Musa was arrested through one of the phones the gang collected from victims. The police used the phone to track him.

Recollecting how he was initiated, Musa said: “My friend, Tony called me. He said that the work I was doing wasn’t bringing much money. He told me what he and others used to do to make money.

Tony has a car. He said that he and others used to go to the expressway, block other motorists and rob them. They would dispossess the occupants of money and othervaluables on them. “After Tony left, I thought about his proposal and decided to join him and his gang. It was not even up to six months that I joined them before police arrested me.”

‘Describing their modus operation, Musa said: “We are five in number. We usually go for operation around 10pm. When it’s time for operation, we’ll call one another on phone and meet at Itire, Ajegunle. It’s from Itire that we move to the expressway. We drive around and when we see someone who is alone and driving, we drive to the front of the car and block it with our own. “I have gone with the gang only four times and we succeeded. My first operation was at Palmgrove Expressway.

The victim was a woman. We collected the valuables, but not the car. They gave me N20, 000 from that operation. We followed her from back, drove to the front and blocked her. Tony had a gun. We opened her car door and pointed a gun at her.

This particular woman was driving a Toyota Camry. Ezekiel was the driver of our operational car. Ezekiel stayed behind in the car. His job was to man the steering. Tony handled the gun. Once we stopped a victim, we would ask, ‘what do you have?’”

Further recollecting the event of that night, Musa said that the gang collected phones and N60, 000 cash from the woman. “I don’t often used to go for operation with the gang. But I have witnessed the snatching of two cars; a Toyota Camry car and Toyota Highlander Jeep. We collected the jeep along Oshodi, Cele Bus Stop.

The driver was a man. Ezekiel drove the man’s car away. We abandoned the man at Cele Bus Stop, right where his car was snatched,” said Musa. He explained that after operation, they would go back home to Ajegunle. Whenever there was need to meet and discuss an operation, they would meet at a joint, where young men used to gather and play lottery.

He said that under the guise of playing lottery, they would discuss their next line of action. He said: “We sold the jeep for N100, 000. My mum is late. But my dad is alive.” When Musa was arrested and asked to mention the names of those that used to buy the stolen items from him or the gang, he mentioned Garba. He also took police to Garba’s shop. Musa said: “Yes, Garba used to buy the jewelry we stole from victims.

But he never knew they were stolen items. I have sold four of such items to him.” Garba said: “I never knew the necklaces, which he sold to me were stolen ones. I would never have bought them from him. He told me they belonged to him.”