But for the vigilance and professional acumen of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Idiroko Division in Ogun State, CSP Shedrach Oriloye, a Toyota Venza car, stolen by a car wash attendant in Lagos would have been crossed to the neighbouring Benin Republic and, may never have been recovered.
The DPO was, according to a press statement issued by the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, on a routine patrol with his men on April 6, 2021 when, suddenly, he sighted the Venza car, without number plate, “driven in a suspicious manner”.
The driver, identified as Kazeem Olanrewaju, was flagged down.
Sensing that the game would be up for him if he stopped, he rather increased his speed, to avoid arrest, an action that gave him out as possibly being in possession of a stolen car.
“He was hotly chased and apprehended. On searching the vehicle, it was discovered that the number plate of the vehicle, APP 775 GB, was removed and kept in the car, the PPRO said, adding that, “On interrogation, he confessed that he was working in a car wash in Festac Town, Lagos State, and was given the car by a customer to wash. While the owner went to a nearby barber’s shop for his hair cut, the car wash attendant disappeared with the car”.
The statement added that, “He was on his way to the neighbouring Benin Republic with the car when he was caught by the DPO and his men”.
Police preliminary investigation, however, revealed that the case was reported at the Festac Town Police Station, for which the station had been working round the clock to recover it, and that the station had since been informed of the recovery.
On that strength, the state Commissioner of Police, Edward Awolowo Ajogun, has ordered a thorough investigation into the past activities of the suspect before handing him over to Lagos State Police Command for prosecution”, the Command’s spokesman said.