The Lagos State Police Command has successfully apprehended two individuals linked to a car vandalism syndicate that has reportedly been operating in the state for the past decade. The suspects, Uba Chigozie, 46, and Onyeka Emordi, 37, were arrested by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, under the guidance of CSP Sunday Cirman.

The gang has been known to primarily target Toyota vehicles, including popular models such as the Corolla, Sienna, and Hilux. Their modus operandi involved vandalizing vehicles parked by the roadside or those that had broken down. Police sources revealed that gang members could dismantle a vehicle and remove valuable parts in as little as ten minutes, often earning up to N100,000 from a single operation.

Chigozie, a former spare parts dealer from Anambra State, was apprehended at a hotel in Ijesha, where he had been staying for approximately four months. In a confession, he acknowledged his involvement in the gang's activities, stating, "I was surprised because I didn’t know what happened, but when they told me that it was because of what my members and I were doing, I protested."

According to Chigozie, his descent into crime began after the demolition of his spare parts shop at the Papa Ajao market left him struggling financially. He explained, "When things became very difficult and I could not afford to take care of my wife and three children, I went to Ladipo Spare Parts Market to hustle. It was there that I met Oba, the leader of our gang."

Emordi, hailing from Asaba in Delta State, revealed that he was introduced to the gang in 2022 after losing his job as a casual driver at a flour mill. He shared, "I was working as a casual driver at a flour mill in Lagos before we were disengaged. After the disengagement, it was very difficult for me to feed and I went to Ladipo Market to hustle."

The gang specialized in stealing parts such as vehicle brain boxes and press button machines. Chigozie mentioned that they sold these parts to buyers of stolen vehicle components, with prices ranging from N10,000 for a press button machine to N40,000 for a brain box.

Interestingly, the gang reportedly used a Mercedes-Benz jack that resembled a firearm to intimidate victims who confronted them during their operations. Emordi clarified, "We don’t use guns. We only have a Mercedes-Benz jack, which looks like a gun, to threaten our victims whenever they confronted us while vandalising their vehicles."

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed the arrests and indicated that efforts are ongoing to track down other members of the syndicate. She cautioned criminals operating in the state to reconsider their actions or face severe consequences, emphasizing that the police, under the leadership of Commissioner of Police Fatai Tijani, are committed to eradicating criminal activities in Lagos.