Police arrest suspected notorious car thief

The police command in Niger has arrested a roadside mechanic suspected to be a notorious car thief.

The command's spokesman, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, said in a statement on Friday in Minna that the suspect (name withheld) stole his customer's Toyota Pontiac Vibe.

Abiodun said that the arrest followed intelligence report on Sept.18.

"The suspect confessed that he stole the car from Dutsen-Kura and drove it to Kaduna and Zamfara states to sell.

"He further confessed that he had stolen a Honda Accord at F-layout area of Minna, and a Toyota RAV4 from Barkin-Sale.

The spokesman said that the suspect was able to drive the Toyota Pontiac Vibe with the use of a fabricated key.

According to Abiodun, the mechanic confessed that he took all the allegedly stolen vehicles to Kaduna for sale.

He said that the owner of the vehicle had, on Sept.14, reported the theft of his car with registration number MNA 974 SK, at Dutsen-Kura.

He said that the car was parked on London Street.

The spokesman said that police detectives trailed the suspect to a hotel at Gabasawa area of Kaduna State where he was arrested and the vehicle recovered.

"Upon preliminary investigation, the suspect, a roadside mechanic, who has been responsible for the maintenance of the vehicle for the past four years, was suspected for the missing of the vehicle.

"The suspect was finally apprehended in Kaduna State with the said vehicle after four days.''

The spokesman said the suspect would be charged to court on completion of investigation.