Police Track Stolen Car To Hotel, Arrest Suspect

The Ogun State Police Command has recovered a 2016 Toyota Camry allegedly stolen from its owner and tracked to a hotel in Ifo, less than eight hours after the theft was reported.

The vehicle belongs to an Indian national who is based at the Ilupeju Industrial Estate in Lagos. According to the police, the car was allegedly stolen on Wednesday by his driver, Waidi Olaide Kolawale, who had only been employed two days before the incident.

Kolawale reportedly told his employer that he was taking the vehicle to a vulcaniser to have one of its tyres repaired. However, instead of returning with the car, the driver allegedly disappeared with it.

After the theft was reported, the vehicle’s electronic tracking system was used to determine its location. The tracker showed that the car had moved into the Ifo area, and the information was immediately passed to the Divisional Police Officer of the Ifo Division, CSP Kamorudeen Olabisi.

Acting on the information, the DPO deployed surveillance and anti-robbery operatives to trace the vehicle and locate whoever was in possession of it.

The officers followed the car through several locations in the area before eventually locating it at a hotel in Ifo at about 8:30 p.m.

According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, the driver, Kolawale, fled as soon as he sighted the police operatives.

However, the officers arrested another suspect identified as Monday Adetunji at the hotel.

Preliminary police investigations have since revealed another troubling detail about what allegedly happened to the vehicle after it was stolen.

The suspects reportedly took the car to a mechanic and attempted to have its catalytic converter removed. However, the mechanic allegedly refused to carry out the job.

The police said the recovered Toyota Camry has been secured, while efforts are continuing to locate the fleeing driver, Kolawale, and determine the full circumstances surrounding the theft.

The police spokesperson described the rapid recovery of the vehicle as an indication of the Command’s technology-driven and intelligence-led approach to policing.

The Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, CP Bode Ojajuni, commended the officers attached to the Ifo Division for their swift response and effective handling of the case.

He also advised vehicle owners to install reliable tracking systems and other anti-theft devices on their vehicles to improve the chances of recovering them if they are stolen.

The Commissioner further urged members of the public to carry out proper checks before handing their vehicles over to drivers or other people they employ.

He also appealed to hotel operators to keep accurate records of their guests and to promptly report suspicious activities taking place on their premises.

Members of the public were encouraged to provide useful information to the police through the Gateway Shield toll-free line.