Robbery Suspect Arrested After Testifying in Church with Stolen Car

Amos Daniel, 36, was arrested by the Lagos State Police Command after fleeing with his employer’s car on the very day he was hired. Daniel, who snatched the vehicle and later took it to his church to give testimony, claimed it was a miraculous provision from God.

Daniel confessed to his congregation about his newfound “blessing” before being apprehended. “I stole my madam’s Lexus car and took it to the church to testify that God has blessed me. I intended to use it for Uber and use the proceeds to pay my debt,” Daniel told journalists. He stole the car on June 23, 2024, and dedicated it in church on June 30, 2024.

In a separate but related case, the police paraded two former soldiers, Akeem Suleiman and Abdulau Mohammed, along with two civilians, accused of conducting robberies while dressed in military gear. The dismissed soldiers, who were part of a larger gang, had been using military headgear, uniforms, and identity cards to intimidate their victims.

During a briefing at the Command Headquarters in Ikeja, SP Benjamin Hudenyin, the police spokesman, detailed the arrests. “We have successfully arrested a robbery gang through our tactical team based in Surulere. The four-man gang specialized in snatching vehicles at gunpoint from motorists in Lagos. They have been operating for quite a long time. Two of them are dismissed soldiers, one was dismissed in 2014 and the other in 2017. They carried out their crime wearing full military gear.”

Among those paraded was 25-year-old Thankgod Kesh-David, who posed as a roadside mechanic. Kesh-David would repair broken-down vehicles, only to disappear with them once his victims were off guard.

Suleiman, who was dismissed from the Nigerian Army in 2017 for desertion, admitted to starting his life of crime in April 2024. “Anytime we steal a car, I drive it to the receiver’s place. We steal cars randomly. If we see anyone parked and wound down, we drag them out and zoom off in the car. We operate in the Ajah area of Lagos, with a local gun. But we never killed our victims,” he stated.

SP Hudenyin advised the public to exercise due diligence when employing drivers or domestic staff, recommending background checks through the Central Criminal Registry at the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Alagbon, and the forensic unit. The suspects are set to face charges in court soon.