For years, Uba Chigozie, 46, and Emeka Emordi, 37, moved through Lagos like ordinary hustlers, finding their way through the sprawling auto-parts market at Ladipo, Mushin, in search of a means of survival.

They were not from the same part of the state. They did not live together, and they did not appear to share the same background. But they had one thing in common: economic hardship and a connection to the Ladipo auto-parts market in Lagos.

It was this common thread that, according to their accounts, eventually drew both men into the world of vehicle vandalism. As you read this piece, their hustle has landed them in police custody.

Their arrest

This followed their arrest by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Lagos State Police Command, under the supervision of CSP Sunday Cirman. The duo were alleged to be members of a vehicle-vandalism syndicate responsible for targeting vehicles parked along roadsides and those that had broken down.

Police sources said the syndicate specialised in vandalising Toyota vehicles, particularly Corolla, Sienna and Hilux models, with their preferred targets including brain boxes, push-button machines, pigeon holes and air-conditioning vents.

What made the operation more disturbing, according to the police, was the speed with which the suspects allegedly worked.

“The gang could dismantle parts of a vehicle in as little as 10 minutes and make as much as N100,000 from an operation. The gang members live in different parts of Lagos but converge at night at locations they have selected for their operations. During operations, they carry a Mercedes-Benz jack modified to look like a rifle, using it to frighten people who might challenge them,” police sources said.

‘Why I joined the gang’ – Chigozie

For Chigozie, the road to the gang allegedly began not with a desire for crime, but with the loss of his means of livelihood. A former spare-parts dealer at Papa Ajao Spare Parts Market, he said his shop was demolished by the government.

Hear him: “Life was difficult for me. I was in the village when our shops were demolished. When things became very difficult and I could not afford to take care of my wife and three children, I went to Ladipo Spare Parts Market to do ‘Baranda’ (a term which means looking for buyers and getting their needs from shop owners to sell). That was where I met Oba, the leader of our gang.

“It was Oba who introduced me to vandalism. He used to buy vehicle spare parts at the market. When I told him about my financial challenges, he introduced me to vehicle vandalisation. That was about ten years ago.

“We sold every vandalised brain box at N40,000 and a push-start button at N10,000. There were days when I got N100,000 as my share, and at times, I did not get up to that.”

Lodged in hotel for four months

Chigozie, an indigene of Anambra State, said after he joined the gang, he started lodging in a hotel for easy access to the gang whenever there was “business.”

He said: “I have been sleeping in that hotel in Ijesha for about four months now. Initially, I was paying N10,000 but later, after the place was renovated, it was increased to N15,000.

“My arrest caught me off guard. I was in a hotel when some policemen came and arrested me. I was surprised because I didn’t know what happened but, when they told me that it was because of what I and members were doing, I protested. I didn’t know that they had arrested one of our gang members, Emeka, AKA Rashidi.

“When I got here and discovered that they already had one of us with them, I had no other option than to cooperate with them.”

‘I was a casual driver before I came to Ladipo’ — Second suspect

For the second suspect, Emordi, his journey was also rooted in a struggle to survive. The 37-year-old indigene of Asaba, Delta State, said he was working as a casual driver at a flour mill in Lagos before he lost the job.

He said: “After the disengagement, it was very difficult for me to feed and I went to Ladipo Market to hustle. It was at the market that I was introduced to car vandalisation in 2022 by a man named Emeka, who was one of our customers at Ladipo.”

Gang’s target

He continued:“Our targets are Toyota Sienna, Corolla and Hilux. Our primary targets are vehicles that are parked at roadside or broken-down vehicles. Our first operation was at a mechanic workshop around Isolo area of the state. That was where Emeka taught me how to remove brain box and press-button machine.

“We didn’t use a gun during operations. We only have a Mercedes-Benz jack, which looks like a gun, to threaten our victims whenever they confronted us while vandalising their vehicles.

“The gang had no single operational base. We live in different parts of Lagos State. I stay in Ajegunle, Oba stayed in Igbo Elerin, Uba stayed in Ijesha, but when we started, we were meeting at FESTAC, from where we headed to Egbeda and Agege areas of the state.”

Police response

Spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, SP Abimbola Adebisi, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects, said operatives were on the trail of other members of the syndicate.

She warned criminals in the state to turn a new leaf or be prepared to face the law, reminding them that the command, under the leadership of CP Fatai Tijani, would not leave any stone unturned in its efforts to rid Lagos State of criminals. (Saturday Tribune)