Detectives attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Lagos State Police Command have arrested a 38 year-old man, Andrew Valentino, who uses his Uber car for one chance operation.
Three other members of the suspected gang have been identified as Tony Onwoluwe (29), Adesoji Oluwafemi (36) and Idoko Michael (33).
They were arrested by the police at Ikate area of the State after robbing innocent members of the public of their money and valuables.
Valentino said he knew the three other suspects at a bar, where he went to drink after the engine of the car got damaged and he had no money to fix it.
He said he was still at the bar till the late hours when Idoko approached him to known why he was still waiting when everyone had left.
He said it was then he explained what he was going through to him and he promised to assist him make more money through the car after it has been fixed.
According to Valentino, they later met at a different bar, where Idoko then told him how to use the car for one chance operation.
He said: “Immediately, I called the owner of the car to inform him about the car and he promised to get a new engine for it at Ladipo Market, which I also promised to pay him back the money we used to buy the engine aside from the normal instalments money and we both signed the agreement.
“After we had fixed the car, I went back to Idoko.
“That was how we started the operation.
“We always operate on Ajah-Lekki Road alone.
“After which Adesoji and Onwoluwe joined us in the deal.
“Whenever we pick passengers from Ajah coming to Lekki or any part of the State, when we get to isolated places we would then threaten the passengers with a tyre jack with which we pose like gun and then collect whatever the person is having with him or her and then push him out from the vehicle and zoom off.”
Idoko on his own said he knew Valentino at a bar where he was talking to himself about how he was not making money with his Uber car business.
He said: I approached him and we became friends and later started the one chance operation.
“Before I decided to venture into one chance business, I was into barbing salon business, but when my shop was demolished at Ikate, I had nothing doing anymore, but I had the plan of doing a one chance business, but the only problem I had is car, but when I found someone who had one, I was excited.
“Velentino and I would sit at the back as passengers, while Oluwafemi would drive and Onwoluwe we hold the tyre jack at the front seat as if he was also a passenger.
“When a passenger enters into the car, the driver would then tell Onwoluwe to cock the gun.
“Onwoluwe would then use hammer to hit the jack as if he was cocking the gun truly.
“Out of fear, we would then ask the person to bring out his Automated Teller machine card, also get his pin and then drive to a ATM machine at an isolated place after which we would then withdraw money, depending on the amount the victim had in his or her bank account.
“When are done, we also push such a person out from our car and speed off and then share the money among ourselves.
“The owner of the car takes the largest share of the money because it is the person’s car we are using for the operation.
“We don’t operate during the day, we do everything at night.”
Onwoluwe said his own role was to call passenger and also pretend to be holding gun.
He said: “After the passenger had entered and we had moved a bit from where policemen are, the driver would then call me to cock the gun, which I would then use the hammer to hit the head of the jack, which will sound like gun and the passenger would started shivering and pleading with us not harm his or her, rather tell us to take whatever we want from them and spare their lives.
“We have only operated for six months.
“The money we were making is just for feeding and buying of clothes.
“I personally don’t have servings.
“I regret my action.”
It was gathered that policemen later arrested Velentino and Idoko when they were drinking at the bar after the owner of the vehicle petitioned the police about his car.
The arrest of Velentino and Idoko led to arrest of Tony and Femi, where they ran to for safety.
Speaking on the arrest, the State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, said the command would not rest until they get rid of one chance suspects in the state.