Shittu Ibrahim, a motorcycle technician, was apprehended by the Oyo State Command of the Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN), also known as the Amotekun Corps, for stealing bikes and making a promise not to commit any crimes again.
At Okeho town in the Oke Ogun region of Oyo State, the security personnel had captured the suspect with three intact motorcycles and three others that had been disassembled and had components sold as scrap.
In a conversation with the Tribune, Kazeem Akinro, the State deputy commandant of Amotekun, revealed that the security agency was aware of Ibrahim’s reputation for stealing motorcycles.
“Ibrahim typically removed motorcycles from where they were parked,” Akinro remarked. Since then, we have been searching for him in the hope that we would eventually find him.
“He was eventually located, and with him were three bikes. There were also pieces of those that had already been disassembled. He was tracked using one of the confiscated bikes, and the owners came to verify it by displaying legitimate documents.
Ibrahim will be turned over to the police, he said, for additional investigation.
Ibrahim while narrating his ordeal said, “It is true I stole motorcycles. I started doing it this year. It was just destined that I would be arrested. I have stolen about six of them.”
“What I usually did before I was caught was that after closing from my shop, I would be on the lookout for motorcycles parked somewhere, especially at night. Once I had looked around with no one approaching, I would disconnect its wires and move it.
After that, I would dismantle it into parts and sell them to those who move around to buy scrap. I was also selling the aluminium parts to those making local pots. I have not been making gains from the sales. I was just using the money to eat. I used to sell them between N500 and N1,500. I had a wife who had two children for me but left. I had another one who also had another two children for me, but she just left when she heard of what I was arrested for.
“I know it’s a bad legacy that one should not hand over to children. I don’t understand why I was doing it.”
When told that he was said to be a serial thief by his neighbours, he said that the only time he was guilty of such was when he stole his brother’s N400,000.
“I used to follow my brother as a motor boy. I asked him for money but he didn’t give me any. So I stole his N400,000 when I lay my hands on it. I wanted to buy a fridge then. He later discovered that I was the one who stole his money.”
Adedeji Shaheed, a victim of Ibrahim’s crime, revealed that he had left his bike parked outside his wife’s store one evening at around 9 o’clock in preparation to pick her up from work when it was taken.
“I came out later and could not find it. I reported to Amotekun and was told to drop my phone number. Some days later, I was called and told to bring the bike’s documents which I did. They discovered I was the owner of one of those found with Ibrahim.”
Another victim, Salau Fatai Odeyemi, said, “I was sick on October 30 and was taken to a pharmacy. After returning home at about 5 pm, I slept off. I woke up later that night and wanted to go and park the bike in its proper place when I didn’t see it. I went to report to Amotekun and was called some weeks after that it has been found. I brought my documents and was confirmed as the owner of one of the bikes recovered from the suspect. We discovered he had changed some things so that it would not be noticed but the engine and chassis number gave him out.”
Ibrahim begged for pardon after his arrest, saying, “If I’m ever caught, I should be shot or have my head severed and offered to the god of iron (ogun).”
