A seasoned car thief met his waterloo when he was apprehended by men of the Lagos state Police Command after he allegedly tried to steal a Toyota Camry from a hotel in Ikotun.

The suspect, a 42-year-old Islamic cleric, Rasheed Ayuba was arrested alongside Falade Igbekele, a transporter who had allegedly purchased six cars from the cleric.

According to Punch, an array of master keys, thirteen other cars keys and charms were confiscated from Ayuba upon arrest.

Ayuba was arrested in June after he allegedly went into a hotel in the Ikotun area to steal a Toyota Camry parked on the premises.

He was apprehended by the neighborhood vigilantes as he was driving out and turned over to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

Ayuba reportedly told the police that he bought the master keys for N9,000 from one John, a Beninoise.

He said, “I finished from an Arabic school in Ikotun and started teaching Arabic in Ishasi. At about 11pm on June 8, I went to a hotel around Ile-Iwe bus stop to steal a Toyota Camry. But I was arrested by the security guards in the area.

“I got the master keys I used from John, who is from Benin Republic. We met in 2013 in Lagos and he sold the master keys to me. Since then, I had been using them to steal cars. I usually sold the cars to my customers in Ibadan. One of them is Falade (Igbekele) to whom I sold six cars, and Friday, who bought a Toyota Camry.

“It was only four cars I had stolen this year before I was arrested. I sold a Toyota Camry to one pastor Dare for N100,000, and a Honda for N80,000 to another pastor. But pastor Dare had just paid me N50,000. They all knew I stole the cars.”

52-year-old Igbekele however, told the police that he had bought six cars from Ayuba so far after he was introduced by a friend.

He said, “I knew Alfa Ayuba through a friend called Lucky Star. Lucky told me Alfa sells vehicles and I said I had interest in buying them. He had sold six vehicles to me so far, including a Nissan Sunny and a Nissan Primero. I bought them for N150,000 each.

“I bought all the cars from Alfa three years ago. He told me he stole them and I asked if I would not get into trouble; he said yes,” Igbekele said.

Ayuba and Igbekele were arraigned at an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on six counts bordering on stealing and receiving stolen property.

The police prosecutor, Sergeant Donjor Perezi, told the court that the offences were punishable under sections 98, 285 (10), 326 (a) (b) and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

Adebayo Emuleomo