A car washer, Kazeem Olanrewaju, has been arrested by policemen from Ogun State Command, for allegedly vanishing with a car brought to him for washing.
Olanrewaju, who was caught on Tuesday, April 6, 2021, had escaped from the car wash with a Toyota Venza car with registration number APP 775 GB.
The police image-maker in the state, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi disclosed on Wednesday, April 7, that the suspect was arrested when the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Idiroko Division, CSP Shadrach Oriloye, was on routine patrol with his men, and had sighted the Venza car without number plate being driven in a suspicious manner.
The PPRO said that when the suspect was waved to a stop, he decided to hurriedly zoom off.
This, he stated, prompted the police to pursue and apprehend him.
Oyeyemi said that when the car was searched, it was discovered that the number plate of the vehicle was removed and kept in the car.
“On interrogation, he (suspect) confessed that he was working with 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 barbing saloon to have his hair cut.
“Before the arrival of the owner of the car, the suspect, who was in possession of the car key, ran away with the car.
“He was on his way to neighbouring Benin Republic with the car when he was caught by the DPO and his men,” the PPRO explained.
He made it known that preliminary investigation carried out by the police indicated that the case was reported at Festac Town police station by the owner of the car, and the station had been on lookout for possible recovery of the car.
Saying that the police station had since been informed of the recovery, Oyeyemi added that the state Commissioner of Police, Edward Awolowo Ajogun, had ordered an investigation into the past activities of the suspect, after which he would be handed over to Lagos State Police Command for prosecution.