HOW WE USE  FAKE NUMBER PLATES TO DIVERT N50MILLION GOODS_ SUSPECTS.

BY PATIENCE OGBO

Policemen attached to the Federal Special Anti-robbery squad, Zone 2 police command Onikan Lagos, are investigating two men who allegedly  specialise in diverting goods with fake number plates.

The men identified as Uche Onuakwu 34, and Ndubisi Michael 35   claimed to be drivers have been arrested in the past for similar crime and charged to court according to police sources.

Sadly ,instead of the suspects  to turn a new leaf after serving  their prison sentences, they took to robbery and diversion of goods worth millions of million the Zone 2 police command spokesperson SP Muyiwa Ogunjobi told Saturday Mirror.

The suspects who stated that they were released from prison recently were arrested again after they diverted a truckload of powdered milk valued at N30million  from the Tin Can Port to Anambra state.

Following the suspect's  notorious activities, the Zone 2 spokesperson Mr. Ogunjobi advised  employers and business owners  to carry out  proper background checks before they employ anyone.

He said " These Suspects pretend to be truck  drivers but their modus operandi is to use fake number plates to divert goods. These men  are habitual or what we call professional criminals. We advise employers to carry out thorough background checks before they employ anybody . They can come to the police to help them screen would be employees as we have a data base to fish out criminals"

Narrating how they divert goods with fake number plates, Onuakwu said " I met a man called Obinna. I have known him for 7 years now . He claimed to be a businessman at the Tin  Can Port at Apapa Lagos. But I  lost contact with him . We became friends again when he gave his phone  number to one Ndubisi whom he met at SARS Ikeja cell to give to me. I called him and we met somewhere at 2nd Rainbow area in Mile 2  Lagos . He told me that he had  a Mack truck he wanted me to drive for him. I went with one Chibekem to see him that day. Chibekem is also a driver.  Chibekem and I went to Onitsha to see him and he took us to a shrine at Agba-Agolo at Agolo in Anambra state  to swear an oath that we will not defraud one another.He told Chibekem that he will give him N2.5million if we use the truck to divert the goods.  He told him that he will settle me well. We succeeded in getting the job to drive a 40 feet container load truck from Tin Can port. We were  supposed to take the goods to a warehouse in Apapa but we diverted it. Unfortunately, the vehicle had a problem with the  engine on our way   at Abagana and Obinna came with another truck to rescue us .He drove the goods away after he  lodged us in an hotel . He later came back to give us N200,000 which we shared but he did not  came back again. Obinna  is the one that brought   the different  fake number plates that we used . He gets them from his contacts. We use different fake number plates to move the goods . I have been to prison twice but instead of prison changing me, I end up meeting bad gangs "

The suspects also stated that   in 2016, they conspired among themselves and robbed a warehouse in Ajao estate in Lagos where their gang members killed a security man and made away with a truck load of tin tomatoes valued at N10million.

Michael said " Our gang members hinted me that they were going to rob a warehouse called Deekay and Sons at Kolawole Sonibare street Ajao estate. I did not go with them but they went and stole tin tomatoes truck  worth over N10millon. I later learnt that they killed a security man after they tied him up. I have been to prison two times"

SP Muyiwa said the suspects will be charged to court. " WE cannot kill them because they are habitual criminals we will continue follow the rule of law  and  charge them to court . It is worrisome that persons who were sent to prisons  come back and continue in their criminal ways. The prison is supposed to reform criminals but they come out to become harden and professional criminals . As an agency who bears the brunt of these criminals, we are going to work with other arms of government and the civil society groups  toward overhauling the judicial system "