By Donald Arji

For some time now, residents of Shibiri under Oto-Awori development Council in Lagos, have been going through  untold harassment in the hands of car thieves who usually vandalized their vehicles while everyone is asleep.

The robbers as gathered, usually  came in their number and sometimes, snatch vehicles from where they are parked, even  from mechanic workshops.

In order to checkmate activities of these hoodlums, the neighborhood watch, a local vigilante group, extended its dragnet to nook and carnies of the area . Their effort seem to have yielded positive result following the arrest of four suspects on Wednesday.

The suspects according to leader of the vigilante group,  Mr Saka, were caught right in the act while vandalizing  some vehicles parked in a mechanic workshop.

He explained that: “ We were on guard as usual when we received  a distress call from one Joshua that some men were robbing along Shibiri road, consequent upon which we drove to the scene of the crime.

“When we got close to the mechanic workshop, we parked our patrol van and walked to the workshop, shooting into the air. Immediately they heard the gunshots, two of them ran out and we chased them and arrested them along side the rest, recovering some of the vandalized items from them.”.

The suspects

The suspects  were identified as  Jude Onogo,28, Akonyi Chibueze,26, Patrick Nwaonzu,35, and Ifeanyi Onwkue,30. One of them,  Jude Onogo , during interrogation confessed to be responsible for  several car thefts in the area.

According to him, “ I  vandalized  Oba of Ijaniki car and those of the  Oloto of Oto-Awori community and the chairman of the Oto- Awori local development area council.  I am also responsible  for several others  within  Oto -Awori community.

“My elder brother pushed me into this. I know I have brought my family’s name to disrepute. I blame my elder brother for this because he pushed me into it.  My brother (name withheld) refused to give me money to start a business of my own. Each time I approached him, he would  rain abuses on  me and compare me to my age mates who are all doing well.

“At times he would say that  I am not brave enough , that my mates are out there pushing drugs while I am here demanding money  from him, instead of being independent . I got frustrated by his continuous outburst each time I approached him for money . That was why I gave consent when my friend Ifeanyin introduced me to this business”

“ We usually go out to operate at night because that is when everyone will be sleeping. We would armed ourselves with a toy gun with which we scare our victims. If I don’t tell you , you won’t know its a toy gun. Most times  we wear black clothes so as not to be easily identified.  We also make use of a customized metal in form of a gun at times.

“And immediately we get the car of our choice, we would go into action by vandalizing the parts we want and then leave. We have been operating in this area for long and never had we been accosted . I have been using this as my only source of lively hood. When we sell the parts we share the money among ourselves and  I use my share to buy food and clothes.

But I promised that if I am let off the hook, I will just pack my belongings and go back to the village to join my mother to farm. That way, I know God will help me”

The suspects were thereafter handed over to the police for further investigation.