Police arrest man for allegedly snatching car at gunpoint

Operatives of the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, have arrested a man, Ugomsinachi Maxwell, for allegedly snatching a car at gunpoint.

The Zonal Public Relations Officer (ZPRO), SP Hauwa Idris-Adamu, confirmed the arrest in a statement on Thursday in Lagos.

She said that the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in-charge of the Zone, Mr Ari Mohammed, received a report of a gang of robbers who snatched a car in Anambra State and brought it to Lagos to sell.

“On Sept. 22, intelligence gathered by the AIG has it that a gang of car snatchers snatched a black Toyota Highlander SUV at gunpoint from a victim, somewhere in Anambra State and same has been moved to Lagos for sales.

“The AIG detailed operatives of the Zonal Raider Unit to discretely investigate and confirm the veracity of the information.

“The suspected car snatchers were trailed to “Be Happy Hotel” Ita-Maga, Ikorodu area of the state, where the snatched vehicle was to be disposed,” she said.

Idris-Adamu said that upon sighting the police, the suspected robbers engaged the operatives in gun duel, and in the process, one of the suspects died.

“In the process of engaging the police in gun duel, one Udoye Sochukwu Kosi ‘m’ a.k.a. “Daddy Seth”, who sustained a bullet wound, was later confirmed dead by a doctor and the remain deposited at the morgue.

“Maxwell was arrested unhurt and two other suspects escaped with varying bullet wounds while one unregistered Black Toyota Highlander 2003 model was recovered,” she said.

The ZPRO said that when Maxwell was interrogated, he claimed he only know one of the fleeing suspects, Chidera, whom he knew as a truck-pusher at Ladipo spare parts market sometime in 2022.

She said that further investigation revealed that Maxwell had been previously arrested in unlawful possession of firearms sometime in April.

According to her, investigation is ongoing while efforts are intensified to arrest the fleeing suspects.