9th June, 2017
Paul Iyoghojie
A truck driver, Segun Oguma and seven others have been arrested by the police for allegedly diverted N23m worth of goods entrusted in their care by the management of Unilever Industries Limited located at Agbara area of Ogun State to deliver to a customer in Aba, Abia State.
The suspects were arrested by the police while offloading the goods into a warehouse at Okokomaiko area of Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria to enable them look for a buyer for the goods.
Their arrest, according to a police source, was made possible by a team led by DSP Olaniyi Festus, officer in charge of Strike Force, SF, at the Federal Special anti Robbery Squad, FSARS, Adeniji Adele road, Lagos Island.
Other suspects are Adamu Akilu, the supposed buyer of the goods; Ismaila Sefiu, owner of the truck; Saheed Tajudeen, Solomon Alani, Patrick Onwunyirimadu, Segun Ojo and Joseph Ubake.
Trouble started for the suspects when the management of Unilever Industries engaged one Baba Apapa to help the company look for a truck to convey about N23m worth of goods to a customer in Aba.
The said Baba Apapa contracted the driver in charge of MAN Diesel truck with registration number KRD-679XU to do the job with a directive to him that he must divert the goods.
Police alleged that after the driver loaded the goods and continued his journey to Abia State, Baba Apapa replaced the original plate number of the truck with fake one bearing ABJ-392XE along the road and directed the driver to drive the truck straight to a warehouse in Okokomaiko area of Lagos.
Nemesis caught up with the suspects while offloading the goods into the warehouse when a resident in the area, who suspected their movement, tipped off the DCP in charge of Federal SARS, Mr. Ibrahim Kaoje, about the development.
Following the report, Kaoje dispatched a team led by Olaniyi Festus to the scene to arrest the suspects and recover the goods.
And on sighting the police team, all the suspects took to their heels but the police pursued and arrested eight of them while the said Baba Apapa managed to escape.
The arrested suspects and the truck with the goods had been taken to the station.
During interrogation, all suspects allegedly confessed to the crime and claimed that Baba Apapa directed them to divert the goods instead of taking it to the owner in Aba.
A police source said all the suspects would be charged to court after the conclusion of investigation.