22nd February, 2018
Paul Iyoghojie
Detectives attached to the Federal Special Anti-robbery Squad, FSARS, at Adeniji Adele, Lagos Island, Lagos have arrested a truck driver, Segun Dada, 46, for allegedly conniving with others still at large to divert goods valued at N17,372,000 entrusted in his care to deliver to a customer in Onitsha, Anambra State.
The culprits were said to have diverted the goods back to Lagos and off loaded them into a warehouse at Abule Oshun area of Lagos to enable them look for a buyer for the goods.
Also arrested for the same crime was Nduka Orie, whom the police alleged was the leader of the syndicate that specialized in hijacking trucks loaded with goods along the Ijebu Ode-Benin expressway.
A police source said that the arrest of the suspect was made possible by the Deputy Commissioner of police, DCP in change of FSARS, Mr. Ibrahim Kaoje who drafted a team led by CSP Danladi Dauda to arrest the truck driver and recover the stolen goods following a complaint by the owner of the goods, Chimezie that the truck driver he engaged to deliver N17,372,000 goods to a customer in Anambra had disappeared with the goods.
Trouble started for the suspects when the complainant, Chimezie entrusted goods comprising 159 bags of Animal Skin, 48 bags of rice and 3 bags of animal feeds, all valued at N 17,372, 000 to the truck driver, Segun Dada to driver to a customer in Onitsha, Anambra State.
The police alleged that after the driver loaded the goods in Lagos, the complainant detailed one Obiora Okpala to escort the driver to deliver the goods to the customer in Anambra State, but that on the way, the driver suddenly stopped the truck at Ijebu Ode axis and pick his partner in crime, Nduka Orie.
The truck driver and Orie, according to the police, suddenly attack the escort, Okpala and dragged him inside the bush, tied his hands and legs with a rope and abandoned him there and diverted the goods back to Abule Oshun area of Lagos and offloaded it into a warehouse and traveled to Ore to look for a buyer for the goods.
Nemesis, however, caught up with the suspect when the complainant reported to DCP Kaoje that the truck driver he engaged to deliver the goods to a customer in Onitsha had disappeared with the goods after he and his accomplice, Orie attacked the escort.
Following the report, Kaoje directed a team led by Danladi Dauda to fish out the truck driver and recover the goods.
The detectives tracked the suspects to Ore, Ondo State and arrested them.
During investigation, the suspects allegedly confessed to the crime that they diverted the goods to Abule Oshun area of Lagos and they led the police to recover the goods.
The suspects were arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate Court on a two-count charge of felony to wit, stealing.
Police counsel, DSP Charles Odii said the offences the accused persons committed were punishable under sections 411 and 287 (5b) of the criminal laws of Lagos State, 2015.
The accused pleaded not quality to the alleged crime and Chief Magistrate O.O Oshin granted them bail in the sum of N500,000 each with two sureties each in like sum.
Oshin adjourned the case till 13 March, 2018 for mention and ordered that the defendants be kept at the Ikoyi Prison, Lagos till they fulfilled the bail conditions.