Ikemefuna Aje, 47, has been arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, of Lagos State Police Command. The suspect, who specialised in stealing laptops at conferences and seminars was arrested while leading a house fellowship at his home.
The suspect gate-crashed a seminar organised for internet brand managers at a popular hotel in Government Reserved Area, GRA, Ikeja, and stole six laptops.
He allegedly made away with five MacBooks, one HP computer and assorted personal effects of the workshop participants.
According to the Commander of RRS, Assistant Superintendent Olatunji Disu, Ikemufuna, as captured in the closed-circuit television, CCTV, drove into the venue and headed straight into the seminar hall, dressed in a corporate suit, precisely when the participants were having lunch in another room.
According to investigation, he took the items to the Computer Village, Ikeja, and sold them to one Saliu Ibraheem for N1,110,000.
RRS operatives, in tracking the suspect, traced him to 5, Tony Street, Ejigbo, Lagos, where he was hosting about 34 other church members in a house fellowship.
The police recovered the SUV, with number plates KRD 701 DC, driven into the venue by the suspect, a master key, a Zinox laptop, several computer bags, computer and tablet accessories as well as seminar materials and N700,000 from his house.
According to one of the seminar participants, who preferred anonymity, “we were shocked to see participants bringing up issues of missing laptops and computer accessories after returning from lunch.
“The seminar was neither advertised online nor in any newspaper. How did this suspect get to know of the event and managed to come at the exact time the about 100 participants were having lunch?”
Ikemefuna was suspected to have several scouts, who provide him with information on conferences and seminars.
The suspect confessed, saying the seminar was one of the many he had gate-crashed and made away with several laptops, mobile phones and computer accessories of participants.
He initially denied committing the crime, but confessed when shown CCTV footages. He then led the operatives to Computer Village, where the buyer was arrested.
According to the buyer of the stolen items at the Computer Village, Ikeja, Saliu Ibraheem, “I have known Ikemefuna for more than seven years. He brought five MacBooks and one HP to my shop, saying he bought them in South Africa.
“I bought them for N1,110,000 and I resold them immediately for N1,250,000. The money was transferred into my account immediately. But the operatives have recovered all the laptops.”
