The police in Abuja have arrested a suspected serial car thief and home burglar, Nonso Samuel. He was arrested after stealing a Toyota Camry car at the Wuse area of the city.
The Bio-Chemistry graduate who relocated to Abuja from Awka,
Anambra State last year had allegedly stolen three cars within the few months
he had stayed in the Federal Capital Territory.
Samuel was arrested by the anti-car theft unit of the FCT
Police Command headed by CSP Vandefan James after a stolen HTC phone belonging
to a senior military officer was traced to him.
The key to a Lexus SUV was also found in his pocket.
The suspect in an interview with Northern City News on
Friday said he started his journey into banditry while in 400 level when he was
introduced into crime by a Geology student who lived ostentatious life in school.
“My father was living in Maiduguri then; he started having
problem and could no longer send me money for my upkeep in school. So I
approached Kennedy, a Geology student who was living big and he told me he was
into burglary. We carried out about
three operations but we were caught in Awka and charged to court, but I was
discharged,” he stated.
Samuel stated that his modus operandi was breaking into
private homes, stealing valuables, money and any car in sight.
He stated that shortly after he arrived in Abuja in 2016, he
broke into an apartment at Jahi district and stole N.2m, but he was caught and
arraigned in court.
Samuel further narrated that he subsequently met an
acquaintance identified as Patrick who asked him to sell a stolen Toyota
Highlander from which he earned N100,000.
It was learnt that the 27-year-old stole a Toyota Camry one
week after he was granted bail by a court in Gwagwalada.
The suspect said, “I saw the car key on the table so I
removed the burglary proof and took the Camry away but the car stalled while I
was driving it away and I was caught while trying to re-start the engine,” he
said.
Investigators said the tracker installed in the car was used
to disable the engine leading to Samuel’s arrest while he was battling to
re-start the car.
An iPad and the sum of N100,000 belonging to the owner of
the car was recovered from him.
It was gathered that the suspect had also stolen a Mercedes
Benz C300 at the Games Village, including N90,000 cash.
Investigators said Samuel was also involved in the sale
of a stolen Toyota Prado SUV which
Ayuba, a suspected car thief he met in police custody gave to him. The car was
reportedly sold for N13m to a dealer who in turn resold it for about N18m.
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