Bank driver arrested with 19 ATM cards, N652,000
Oladujoye and items recovered from him.
| credits: Eniola Akinkuotu
| credits: Eniola Akinkuotu
The
Lagos State Police Command has arrested Dare Oladujoye, a driver with
Zenith Bank, for allegedly being in possession of 19 Guaranty Trust Bank
ATM cards and the sum of N652, 000.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the
suspect was using the cards to withdraw money from an ATM at Ogba branch
of GTB when a security guard raised the alarm.
The Commissioner of Police for the state
police command, Mr. Umar Manko, said as of the time of his arrest, the
suspect had withdrawn N652, 000 from the ATM.
Manko said, “On July 26, 2012, around
8:30pm, there was a distress call that there was commotion at GTB, Ogba
branch. On getting there, the suspect was seen with 19 ATM cards.
“He is an employee of Zenith Bank and we
wondered what he was doing with the 19 cards. He was arrested and as of
the time of his arrest, he had cashed N652, 000. The matter is under
investigation.”
The suspect however denied stealing the
ATM cards. He said whenever he lent people money, he would collect their
ATM cards as collateral and return them after payment.
He said, “I usually loan people money
and I’ve been doing it for over a year. Whenever I loan people money, I
will collect their ATM cards and their Personal Identification Numbers.
When they repay me, I return their cards to them.
“However, if they don’t pay me back in cash, I go to withdraw money from their accounts through the ATM.”
When quizzed on where he got the money which he lent people, he said he was into various kinds of businesses.
He also said he had friends in the banking sector who helped him with funds.
He said, “I am a very hard working
person. I joined Zenith Bank as a driver over three years ago and in
less than a year, I bought a tricycle which I leased to another driver
that gives me returns on a regular basis.
“The following year, I bought two
tricycles bringing the total number to three. I make N150,000 monthly
from the tricycles and N60,000 from my salary. I also get credit
facilities through my connections in the banking sector.
“On the day I was arrested, I went to
withdraw money on Thursday night with some of the cards when a security
guard raised the alarm. I did not steal those cards. I know the owners
of the cards and I have their numbers on my phone.”
Meanwhile, the command has warned members of the public to be very careful when buying vehicles so as not to buy stolen ones.
The warning became imperative following
the arrest of two mechanics who allegedly received six stolen vehicles
and even sold some to members of the public.
Manko said buyers could sense stolen vehicles by their cheap prices.
It was learnt that on July 7, 2012, Sunday Okoduwa came with a report that his car was stolen on Victoria Island.
Policemen later traced the car to a
workshop in Agidingbi and arrested a man identified simply as Abdusalam,
who in turn claimed that he bought it from one Idowu Adegboyega.
PUNCH Metro learnt that when
Adegboyega was arrested and could not give a satisfactory explanation,
his house was searched and some documents were found which led to the
recovery of six other vehicles.
A police source said, “When we searched
the suspect’s house, some documents were recovered which led to the
recovery of six other vehicles.
“All the vehicles were registered in the
name of one Oti Olusekola Jacob, who is believed to belong to the gang
of armed robbers in Lagos.”
In a related development, the police have arrested 12 armed robbery suspects.
Police authorities said the suspects
belonged to a syndicate that specialised in snatching vehicles from the
owners at gunpoint.
The police alleged that the suspects operated in Ikorodu where they robbed and also sold vehicles.
According to the police, Ahmed
Abdullahi, Azeez Abiodun, Olusoga Taiwo, Wasiu Azeez and Dele Balogun
are among the suspects arrested.
It was learnt that three of the
suspects, Adebiyi Mafimisesin, Lekan Aibinuomo and Okalawon Akinpelu;
were receivers of stolen vehicles, which were either Toyota or Honda
products.
A police source said, “The case emanated
from Ikorodu Police Station and was reported on June 20, 2012 by a
complainant who was attacked and robbed of his Toyota Sienna Space bus.
“We swung into action and we discovered
where they keep stolen vehicles and sell to buyers. We recovered six
vehicles; Toyota Sienna, Toyota Corolla, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and
two others.
“We also recovered single-barrelled locally-made shotguns and 24 live cartridges and one expended cartridge.”
