An Islamic cleric identified as Rasheed Ayuba has been apprehended by the Lagos State Police Command for alleged car theft.
Ayuba who hails from Igbesa in Ogun State was nabbed by policemen along with a transporter, Falade Igbekele in Ibadan, Oyo state.
According to Punch Metro, a bunch of master keys along with abou 13 other keys and charms were recovered from the suspected criminal.
Ayuba who revealed that he also teaches at an Arabic school in Ishasi, Lagos state 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”.
Ayuba however revealed that he bought the master keys from one John, a Beninese man at the rate of N9,000.
“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.”
Igbekele who was apprehended along with Ayuba revealed that he had purchased a total of six cars from the suspect.
The case was however brought before the Ikeja Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday where a six count charge bordering on stealing and receiving stolen property was levelled against the suspects.
The police prosecutor, Sergeant Donjor Perezi,during the court proceedings noted that the suspects’ t offences were punishable under sections 98, 285 (10), 326 (a) (b) and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The defendants pleaded not guilty before the court presided over by magistrate, Mrs. O.A. Olayinka.
the two were subsequently admitted to bail in the sum of N500,000 each with two sureties each in like sum and the case was adjourned till November 8, 2016.