BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
Some residents of Osogbo, the Osun State capital, have lamented the incessant vehicle theft and stealing of essential parts of vehicles by hoodlums within the capital city.
Checks by The Point showed that the affected car owners had lodged complaints on the activities of men of the underworld who usually hide under the cover of the night to break into their homes to vandalise vehicles and remove vital spare parts.
Some car owners who fell victims of vandalism told The Point that the vandals and car thieves had been on the prowl within the Osogbo metropolis for more than a year.
On their module operandi, they said that the hoodlums carefully surveyed the areas where they intended to operate in order to plan their escape.
They said that the marauders also break into mechanic workshops and places where expensive cars are parked to remove vital spare parts.
It was gathered that the hoodlums usually rip off door lock and glass control panels, vents, brain boxes and car batteries among others.
The Point learnt that the looters usually gain entry into cars with the aid of master keys.
Sometimes, the hoodlums allegedly break the side glasses of vehicles for access. Victims told our correspondent that the hoodlums often sell the stolen vehicle parts to spare parts dealers.
A car owner, Maruf Adewale, said that the hoodlums had broken into his house twice to steal his car stereo.
According to him, the vandals always loiter around the neighbourhood where car owners live to monitor houses and sneak into compounds with the aim of vandalising vehicles and carting away vital auto parts.
“I thought that the experience is limited to Adetunji Estate, but I have discovered that the criminals are everywhere in Osogbo. I had parked my Lexus ES350 in my compound but when I woke up and wanted to drive out to work, I discovered that my car stereo was missing,” he said.
Also, a mechanic, Jide Olaolu, said that he had recorded huge losses owing to theft of car parts at his workshop.
Olaolu, who operates at Ogo-Oluwa area of Osogbo, said that the marauders were always on the prowl at night after the workshop had closed for the day.
He said, “For about a year now, I have been recording attacks on my workshop. No fewer than 20 cars had been damaged by hoodlums. Once an essential part of a car, like the brain box is removed, such a car is rendered useless until the owner replaces the stolen parts.
“We have discovered that the thieves sell stolen items to spare part dealers. Replacing the stolen parts is difficult and very expensive. One may not get the original parts easily.”
Meanwhile, one of the hoodlums recently ran out of luck as residents nabbed a 31-year-old man, Uchenna Nwankwo.
The suspect, who was caught while vandalizing a vehicle at Adetunji Estate, Osogbo, was handed over to the police.
After investigation, Nwankwo was arraigned before an Osogbo Chief Magistrate’s Court on the account of stealing vehicle parts alongside other fleeing members of the syndicate.
The police prosecutor, Inspector Elisha Olusegun, informed the court that Nwankwo conspired with others at large and stole vehicle parts worth N542, 000 in Osogbo.
The charge against him read that “Uchenna Nwankwo and others now at large, on the 22nd and 23rd of October, 2021 at about 10pm at Adetunji Estate, Osogbo, did conspire among yourselves to steal Toyota Corolla car’s tapping buttons and vent valued at N120,000, property of Egunjobi Olawumi.”
Olusegun also alleged that the defendant stole a Toyota Corolla car’s brain box and tapping buttons valued at N172,000, property of Temitope David. He added that Nwankwo stole Lexus ES350 car’s stereo valued at N250, 000, property of Maruf Adewale.
The prosecutor also stated that the defendant damaged side glasses of three Toyota Corolla and Lexus ES300 cars belonging Egunjobi Olawumi, Temitope David and Maruf Adewale respectively.
He said that Nwankwo committed offences contrary to and punishable under Sections 516, , 390(9), 517, and 451 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume II, Laws of Osun State, 2002.
The defendant, who told the court that he was brought to Osogbo by a mechanic friend and that he specialised only in Japanese cars, pleaded not guilty to the eight counts slammed against him.
The defence counsel, Tunbosun Oladipupo, urged the court to grant his client bail.
The trial Chief Magistrate, Olusegun Ayilara, lamented the rising cases of vehicle parts’ theft, disclosing that about eight of his neighbours fell victims at different times.
Ayilara said, “It is really a disturbing situation in Osogbo. I can count about eight persons in my area whose cars had been vandalised while some parts like brain box and car stereo were taken away. They even enter into people’s compound at night. My compound would have been invaded but for my dogs.”
The police prosecutor objected to the bail application by the defendant, on the ground that cases of vehicle parts’ thefts had become so rampant. He also premised his reason for objecting to the bail on the fact that Nwankwo was not resident within Osun State.
Ayilara ordered that Nwankwo should be remanded in Ilesa Correctional Centre and adjourned the matter till November 8 for determination of his bail application.
