Islamic Cleric Arrested For Stealing Cars In Lagos(Photo)

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 42-year-old Islamic cleric, Rasheed Ayuba, for alleged car theft.

Ayuba, who hails from Igbesa, Ogun State, was apprehended along with a transporter in Ibadan, Oyo State, Falade Igbekele, who reportedly bought six of the stolen cars.

PUNCH Metro learnt that a bunch of master keys and about 13 other car keys, as well as charms, were recovered from Ayuba.

It was gathered that the suspect, who also teaches at an Arabic school in Ishasi, Lagos, was caught sometime in June after he entered into a hotel in the Ikotun area to steal a Toyota Camry parked on the premises.

He was driving out the car when he was caught by vigilantes in the neighbourhood, who handed him over to officials of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

Ayuba reportedly told the police that he bought the master keys for N9,000 from one John, a Beninoise.

He said, “I finished from an Arabic school in Ikotun and started teaching Arabic in Ishasi. At about 11pm on June 8, I went to a hotel around Ile-Iwe bus stop to steal a Toyota Camry. But I was arrested by the security guards in the area.

“I got the master keys I used from John, who is from Benin Republic. We met in 2013 in Lagos and he sold the master keys to me. Since then, I had been using them to steal cars. I usually sold the cars to my customers in Ibadan. One of them is Falade (Igbekele) to whom I sold six cars, and Friday, who bought a Toyota Camry.

“It was only four cars I had stolen this year before I was arrested. I sold a Toyota Camry to one pastor Dare for N100,000, and a Honda for N80,000 to another pastor. But pastor Dare had just paid me N50,000. They all knew I stole the cars.”

Fifty-two-year-old Igbekele confessed to have bought six cars from Ayuba, saying a friend introduced him to Ayuba.

The indigene of Ondo State added that he used some of the vehicles for commercial purpose.

“I knew Alfa Ayuba through a friend called Lucky Star. Lucky told me Alfa sells vehicles and I said I had interest in buying them. He had sold six vehicles to me so far, including a Nissan Sunny and a Nissan Primero. I bought them for N150,000 each.

“I bought all the cars from Alfa three years ago. He told me he stole them and I asked if I would not get into trouble; he said yes,” Igbekele said.

While the police said they were on the trail of the other accomplices, Ayuba and Igbekele were brought before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on six counts bordering on stealing and receiving stolen property.

The police prosecutor, Sergeant Donjor Perezi, told the court that the offences were punishable under sections 98, 285 (10), 326 (a) (b) and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges before the presiding magistrate, Mrs. O.A. Olayinka, and were admitted to bail in the sum of N500,000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

The case was adjourned till November 8, 2016.

43-year-old Man Allegedly Assaults Father, Rapes Mother In Edo

An Egor Magistrates’ Court in Benin, on Thursday remanded one Humphrey Omoregieva, 43, in prison over alleged assault on his parents.

The prosecutor, Cpl. Ayo Augustine, told the court that the accused committed the offence on Aug. 1, at No. 294, Upper Mission, Benin.

Augustine told the court that the accused had beaten up his father by hitting him with a piece of wood on his forehead.

He said that the accused also beat up his mother and raped her severally.

The prosecutor added that the accused maliciously damaged a sliding window in the house valued at N80,000.

He said that the offence contravened sections 355, 320 and 358 of the Criminal Code.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr F.E. Akhere, said that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the case and ordered that copy of the case file be sent to the Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice.

He adjourned the case till Sept. 8, for mention. (NAN)

How I Transferred N1.2bn From Obanikoro Son’s Account – Bank Staff

Mr. Olaitan Fajuyitan, who is the Head of Treasury Operations at Diamond Bank, in his statement at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s office, revealed how he transferred N1.2bn from the bank account of a company belonging to Gbolahan Obanikoro, a son of Musiliu Obanikoro, a former Minister of State for Defence.

He said, “On June 16, 2014, my boss, Premier Oiwoh, told me to do a transaction for Sylvan McNamara. The instruction was for the payment of N1.2bn.

“The customer’s physical instruction was that its account number, 0026223714, be debited with N1.2bn and pay the following people: Saturaki Bello, N200m; Yusuf Bulama, N120m; Chimenum Njoku, N250m; Franklin Tolani, N150m; Josiah Moses, N280; and Abubakar Sadiq Zanna, N200m.

“My supervisor (Oiwoh) asked me to provide the funds for the Cash-In-Transit unit for onward payment to the beneficiaries.”

It was gathered that the cash, which was originally released for the six beneficiaries, was handed over to Gbolahan under the pretence that the six persons could not be located.

Damola Otuyalo, the Head of Cash-in-Transit Services, had told the EFCC that, “The beneficiaries were not available to be paid as I did not see them and I was later directed by Mr. Premier Oiwoh to move the money to the airport where I will be given further instruction.

“We moved the cash to the airport through the Cash-In-Transit vendor, Bankers Warehouse Limited. I contacted the vendor who made the bullion van available for movement. I personally supervised the loading of the money into the bullion van and escorted them to the airport.”

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DEVELOPING STORY ON DASUKI GATE: DASUKI LOSES TWO APPEALS SEEKING TO STALL TRIALS

 
The Asian court in Abuja has delivered its judgement which has dismissed the two separate appeals filled by Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), the former National Security Adviser to halt his ongoing trials before two separate judges of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Maitama.

The Court delivered its judgement few hours after hearing the appeals on Wednesday.

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