Mechanic Leads Gang To Church Premises, Steals Bus

A mechanic in Ilesha , Osun State, Saheed Olaniyan , is cooling his feet in police custody after he was arrested for stealing a bus.

The vehicle , a Toyota Hiace Bus , reportedly belongs to the St . Peter ‘ s Anglican Church . Olaniyan repairs the bus for the church.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that he had led two members of his gang , Bolaji Azeez and Adebola Adekunle , to steal the bus in the dead of night.

They broke the bus ’ side window glass , unlocked the steering and drove it to Lagos.

It was gathered that Azeez was intercepted by DCP Abba Kyari – led Inspector – General of Police Intelligence Response Team operatives at the point of selling the bus . Azeez led the police to apprehend his two accomplices.

The operatives , our correspondent learnt , had acted on a report made by the church.

The bus was said to have been recovered and returned to the church.
In an interview with our correspondent earlier in the week , 25 – year -old Olaniyan said Azeez contacted him that a friend , Adekunle , wanted to buy a Hiace bus for N 1 . 2 m.

He said after he looked around to get a bus for sale without success , he hatched the plan to steal the church’ s.

Olaniyan stated , “ I live close to the church and help the church to repair the bus . Azeez called me that his friend , Adekunle , needed a Hummer ( Hiace ) bus and I told him I did not have any for sale . I promised to look around and get back to him.

“ Three days later , I saw somebody drive the church ’ s bus along the street and it occurred to me that I could make a deal out of it . I called Azeez that I had got a bus but that it belonged to the church. I asked him to come with his friend , Adekunle , so that we could steal it.

“ They came to Osun on February 26 , 2018 . We entered the church premises at 11 pm and hid somewhere until 1 am when we struck . I had never engaged in this kind of thing before. It was money that tempted me . I want the police to have mercy on me . ”

Adekunle , who also owned up to the crime , explained that he was in dire need of a job after he came out of prison in January 2018.

The native of Ikire , Osun State, admitted that he contacted Azeez to help him get a bus he could use for commercial purposes.

He stated that Azeez later told him there was a bus in Ilesha they could steal .
The 30 – year -old driver said he agreed to pay Azeez and Olaniyan N 400 , 000 each if the operation was successful , adding that they decided to sell the vehicle because he could not get the money to pay them.

He said , “ I live in Lagos . I was a tanker driver . I went to prison last year because of shortage of the petroleum product I discharged at a filling station. I spent two months in the prison before I was released in January 2018.

“ After I came out , I started looking for a job . I called Azeez , who used to repair the tanker I drove , to help me get a bus that I could use for transportation business . He said he would contact his friend in Osun . Three days later, he called me that he had found one in Ilesha.

“ We went there and met with Olaniyan who took us to the church premises at night . It was agreed that I would pay them N 400 , 000 each . We broke the side window glass of the bus to gain entry . Olaniyan unlocked the steering and connected some wires to start the bus . We drove it out of the church compound and brought it to Lagos on February 27 . We took it to a painter in Ikorodu.

“ They were disturbing me for their share but I could not get the money I was expecting from somebody to pay them . We later decided to sell the bus.
Somebody linked Azeez to a buyer , unknown to him that he had been set up . The buyer eventually turned out to be an IRT official . Azeez led the police to arrest me . Police asked him to call Olaniyan to come to Lagos for his share and they arrested him . ”

Azeez , 32 – year- old father of two , said he was trying to help Adekunle to eke out a living.

He said , “ I am a panel beater . I met Olaniyan at Ladipo Market, where he came to buy auto spare parts from Ilesha . The bus is worth N 2 . 5 m . Adekunle said he would give Saheed and me N 400 , 000 each , but he could not pay on time.

“ Olaniyan was disturbing me for his own share . It was in the process of selling the bus that I fell into the police trap. ”