Police nab hotelier, one other for car theft

Babajide Williams

Operatives of Ogun State Police Command, have arrested a 47-year-old hotelier, Paul Niwa and one Michael Odunayo for stealing a bus belonging to A&G Logistics Transport Company, Shagamu.

The two suspects were arrested following a report lodged at Ewu-Oliwo divisional headquarters, Shagamu 21 April 2023 by one Anifowose Kazeem, who reported that he is the driver in charge of a T4 Volkswagen bus with number plate AAB 22 XB.

According to the driver, while driving the vehicle from Abeokuta towards Shagamu around 1 am, of the date, the vehicle developed a mechanical fault at the Shagamu interchange.

Speaking, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the driver had to park the vehicle by the roadside with the intention of going back with a mechanic in the morning to fix it.

Oyeyemi, said surprisingly, when the driver got to the scene the following morning, the bus was no longer there and all efforts to find it proved abortive.

“Upon the report, the DPO Ewu-oliwo division, CSP Toyosi Bello, detailed detectives to unravel those behind the disappearance of the said vehicle.

“The detectives, who embarked on technical and intelligence-based investigation were able to trace the missing vehicle to the compound of A@Z Hotel at Elediye village, Shagamu, where the vehicle has been disassembled into bits to be sold in spare parts.

“The owner of the hotel, Paul Niwa was there and then promptly arrested and taken to custody.

“His arrest led to the apprehension of the second suspect 27-year-old Michael Odunayo.

“On interrogation, Michael Odunayo confessed to the police that it was himself and one Eri Adeyemi, who is now at large, that towed the vehicle away from where it was parked at about 2 am and took it to Paul Niwa, who happened to be a regular buyer of such a stolen vehicle and he bought it at the rate of three hundred thousand naira.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that Paul Niwa is a serial receiver of stolen vehicles, which he used to dismantle and sell in pieces,” he said.

Meanwhile, the acting Commissioner of Police, DCP Babakura Muhammed, has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to the State Criminal Investigation Departments for further investigation.

The CP also directed that the remaining member of the gang Eri Adeyemi be hunted for and brought to book.