12th February, 2017
The lady, Mitchel Harrold, 37, from Warri, Delta State was on Tuesday arrested after the operatives traced him through a car dealer in Lagos, whom she had engaged to help perfect import papers for the stolen Volkswagen Passat Wagon, 2001 model.
It was learnt that the suspect had on Thursday, 19th January, 2017, at about 5:30 p.m, together with her man friend, a medical doctor, checked into a popular hotel (name withheld) in Ojodu, Berger, with the plan to spend the night.
Harrold had after settling down gone to get a malt drink and yoghurt while the boyfriend was taking his bath.
According to the victim, Daniel Biyi (not real name), “I went in to take a bath and when I returned, she had gone to buy some drinks. I took the malt drink and yoghurt and I slept off. I slept off at 6:00 p.m. and woke up around 2:00 p.m.
“Behold, when I woke up, my personal effects such as phone and laptop had gone. Unfortunately for me, I do not know any of her relatives. We only met on a social media dating site, Badoo about a year ago. As I woke up, I rushed straight to meet with the receptionist and gateman to ask for her whereabouts, that was when I realised my car had been taken away too.
They told me someone came to pick the car for her and that she said she was going to get food. Immediately, I reported the incident at Omole Police Station.”
The victim said that he was just aware of her real name as Harrold Mitchel, after the arrest, because she gave him Aisha Ibrahim as name.
“I was getting to know her for real now. She only gave me Aisha Ibrahim as her name with these numbers – 08067188213, 07081240038. Since the incident, I had been trying to call her but to no avail. One of the numbers was switched off, she wasn’t picking the other”, he added.
Arrested alongside with her, was one Adesanya Gbenga, a generator repairer, whom she engaged to drive the stolen vehicle.
According to him, “I was surprised to see her opening the gate of the hotel herself for me to drive out instead of the gateman. That wasn’t the first time I would be helping her take a vehicle out of Lagos to Sapele. It was about the third time. First, it was a Toyota Camry “Big for Nothing”. I helped her moved it from Ajah to Sapele, Delta State. The second one was an “End of Discussion” Honda Accord and thirdly, Volkswagen Passat, 2001 model. I moved that too all night to Sapele”.
He further stated “I was introduced to her in 2016 by her elder brother, who worked as clearing and forwarding agent. I was told she needed the assistance of a good driver to take to Warri. I later met her in Ajah where I helped took a Toyota Camry to Sapele”.
“About four months later, she summoned me to GRA Ikeja. She gave me a Honda Accord (End of Discussion) to help her collect fuel from his brother at Wawa, Ogun State. I took the fuel and returned the car. She then told me that she has gotten another driver to take her. She gave me N5000 and I left.
“The last vehicle is the one that has created crisis for me. Although, I have been wondering where she has been getting these cars but she told me that she hired them from Delta whenever she comes to Lagos, and that a driver brought her to Lagos and returned to Delta. I don’t know she steals car.”
Our sources revealed that Harrold had already informed his brother, Mukoro Okpako of her desire to sell the car, urging him to assist her in perfecting custom papers for the Volkswagen Passat two days before she was arrested in Agbor, Delta State.
The sources added that the vehicle was recovered in Warri. It was further learnt that she had removed the number plate and put it in a car mart for sale.
“She attempted concealing the stolen phone when she was arrested. As it were now, the whereabouts of the other stolen Honda accord, End of Discussion and Toyota Camry, Big for Nothing remained unknown as she refused to cooperate with the Police during preliminary investigation.”, the source added.
The State Police’ spokesperson, Superintendent of Police, Dolapo Badmus, who confirmed the arrest, said that the case had been transferred to the State criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
-Kazeem Ugbodaga