Defending his action, Mr. Kareem, a father of two, said he has a good reason to steal from women. “I am on a vengeance mission to hurt women because a woman stole my $160,000.”
The police recovered 28 ATM cards, 12 identity cards, seven handsets, three Senior Secondary School(SSSCE) certificates and several handbags and purses, all belonging to different women who were victims of Mr. Kareem’s ploy.
Mr. Kareem said his vengeance against women began on November 17, 2009 when a brief lust affair with a woman at the Kuramo beach left him almost dead.
“On November 17th, I had gone to Eko Hotel to collect $160,000 from an acquaintance. After collecting the money, I went to the Ocean View Restaurant to eat and I parked my car there; that was around 8pm. From the restaurant, I went to the Kuramo beach. As I was walking on the beach, a woman came to me that she can ‘satisfy’ me if I will give her N2,500. I agreed and we had fun on the beach. I sucked her breast in the process of our lovemaking and it seems she put something on her breast because I fell into a deep sleep afterwards and when I woke up, it was 11am the next day. It was even the people on the beach that woke me up.
“By the time I realised myself, I noticed that my car key and other cash in my pocket were missing. I rushed to where I parked my car and that was how I discovered that my car had been opened and my $160,000 was stolen. I searched frantically for the girl, but I did not see her again. I was detained and my wife left me because of that money that was stolen. It is in a bid to get my revenge that is why I am stealing from women. I have lost count of my female victims and I made more than N100,000.”
Method of operation
Police spokesperson, Frank Mba, said the suspect used free ride to lure his female victims.
“On January 7, the officers at Alapere police station received a report that a man, who lives in Ogun State, comes to Lagos to steal from women.
The suspect, identified as Olalekan Kareem, operates with his brown Toyota E-saloon car with registration number CD 117 FST which he used to offer free ride to women. After giving them the ride, he will pretend as if the car had developed a fault and he will request that the women alight from the car to help push it. By the time the women alight to start to push the car, the suspect would then zoom off with their handbags and other valuables. He was, however, arrested when a lady whom he had stolen from identified him and informed the police.”
Some of Mr. Kareem’s victims include Khadijat Adegoronye, Jenifer Ugochukwu and Cythia Kodu. They all had the same tale.
“Sometimes last week, around 6pm I was waiting at a bus stop at the Muson Centre at Onikan to get a cab to my house at the mainland. Mr. Kareem stopped and asked me where I was going, and I told him. He said he will give me a ride to where I can easily get a cab to my destination. But on our way, his car started jerking and then it stopped. He said I should call somebody to help push the car. Immediately I got down, he drove off with my bag containing N15,000 and other valuables,” narrated Miss Kodu.
Game over
Miss Ugochukwu said she alerted the police after her stolen hand bag was found in a gutter at Alapere.
“Last week Saturday around 8pm, I and one other lady were stranded at Toll gate. Mr. Kareem parked in front of us and offered to give us a ride to Iyana-Oworo. About 10 minutes to the ride, his car started jerking. He told us that the car had developed a fault and we should come down to help him push it but when we got down, he zoomed off with our bags.
“I had N150,000 in my bag and other valuables like my two handsets. The next day, I got a phone call that my bag was found in a gutter at Alapere. As I got there to pick my bag, I saw Mr. Kareem driving pass. I told the guy who had called me that Mr. Kareem had just passed us. We decided to trail him with okada (motorcycle). He stopped at the car wash at Alapere and that was how we alerted the police and he was arrested.”
Urging residents of the city to be vigilant on the road, Mr. Mba said, “Lagosians should beware of people who give free ride as this has been discovered to be a new trick in town to steal from unsuspecting persons. They should board only marked cabs and report any suspects to the police. The suspect will be charged to court for stealing as soon as we are through with our investigations.”
