BENIN CITY-Two members of inter-states car snatching syndicate led by a fake soldier have been apprehended by operatives of Edo police command.
Two TOYOTA cars, five locally made master keys, ID card bearing Ex Cpl James Joseph Akor numbered L/254/NT, military camouflage shirt, one binocular, three GSM phones, and documents were among items recovered from the suspects.
The suspects Chimeze Friday, 31, from Imo State and Augustine Ifor, 36 from Okpe, Delta State were arrested by Federal Special Anti-robbery Squad (FSARS) led by one Inspector Victor Ernest on Stop-and-Search patrol along Benin-Sapele road, last Friday.
The two suspects were in a black TOYOTA CORROLLA marked IMO LG 86-BGT while the fake soldier now at large, drove in TOYOTA Camry with number plate DELTA KPE-584AA when they were intercepted before Benin City.
Failure of the suspects to convincingly prove ownership of the TOYOTA CORROLLA and the subsequent escape of the fake soldier who had earlier shown up as the owner of the car, led to the eventual arrest of the duo by the patrol team.
Chimeze Friday admitted to have in connivance with the fleeing fake soldier snatched more than five cars.
The other suspect, Augustine Ifor claimed to have been hired by the fake soldier to drive the car from Warri to Benin City as he has been seeing the fake soldier in Uniform and gun in Warri, Delta State.
The Public Relations Officer for Edo Police Command DSP Osifo Abiodun said the arrest followed intensified Stop-and-Search operations of the police in Edo State.
He stated that a manhunt for the fleeing suspect has begun as investigation would reveal his true identity.
He advised members of the public to be on the watch out and be security conscious at all times.
