Operatives of Rapid Response Squad
of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a driver who connived with
three other persons in diverting his company 600 bags of flour before
dismembering the truck for sale in pieces.
The suspect, Garuba Lawal, 36, from
Kwara State connived with three others now at large and diverted the 600 bags
of flour to Sagamu, Ogun State. The product was thereafter given out to a
buyer, while he took the truck to Ilorin, Kwara state, where it was dismembered
and sold in pieces.
Garuba, who was recruited by the
company (name withheld) the same day to move the 600 bags of flour to a bakery
in Ibadan, Oyo State, was baited with N2 million by his accomplices to do their
bidding.
The suspect, in his statement to the
police disclosed that after loading on Sunday, at the Nigeria Flour Mills in
Apapa. A young man, whose name was later given as Ismaila from Oyo State,
approached him for a discussion.
“He invited me close to my truck
just as I was about to drive it out of the loading bay. He asked me how much I
have made in since I have been driving truck. I replied him that I just joined
the haulage company.
He asked again, have ever seen money
in your life? I said no. He asked me again, if you see N2 million, what would
you do with it? I answered him that I would quit this truck driving job. Then,
he told that he would introduce me to a deal. That was how we started”.
Garuba continued, “while his two
other colleagues were waiting in the Toyota Corrolla they brought. He took me
to a corner and brought a cowrie. He told me that I would have to swallow the
cowrie as a sign of bond that anybody that divulge the secret between us would
die instantly”.
I took the cowrie and swallowed it.
Immediately I did that, I observed that whatever instruction he gave me, I was
just obeying it without a second thought”.
According to sources, Garuba, in
company of the three accomplices diverted the 600 bags of flour to Sagamu
instead of its scheduled destination on a Sunday night and getting to Sagamu
around 2:25 a.m on Monday.
“We entered Sagamu. It was very
early in the morning and I couldn’t identify anywhere so much. All along, they
acted as escort for the truck to Sagamu. One of them was in the truck with me
because the motor boy didn’t follow us”.
The source added that at Sagamu,
Garuba was informed that the head of the truck had to be removed for a small
because it could not enter the warehouse the goods were to be offloaded.
“We put a new truck head and they
gave N50,000. We agreed I drive the truck head to Kwara State in company of two
other member of the team to sell it off.
We got to Ilorin around 7:15 a.m. on
Monday. I took the two guys to where I live with my wife. They promised to
return with my share on N2 million as soon as bank is opened. They collected
N15,000 for hotel accommodation from the N50,000:00 they gave me.
\
When I didn’t see them that day and
the following day, I agreed with a buyer to knock down the truck into pieces.
The tyres, engine, radiator, chasis etc for N450,000. After, we had dismembered
it, the Rapid Response Squad, Lagos arrested me”.
Sources at the haulage firm
disclosed that they were yet to see the motor boy that followed him on the said
trip. This has fuelled the suspicion that the motor boy might have been
killed by the gang to pave way for a seamless execution of their plans.
Garuba insisted that the motor boy
didn’t follow them on the trip. The motor boy’s phone has remained switched off
since the incident.
Investigation revealed that the gang
that diverted the flour are the same gang which has been involved in several
diversions of other products.
Arrested along with him were Jimoh
Adeleye, Wasiu Azeez and Adeniran Jacob.
Confirming the development,
the Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Suprintendent of Police, ASP
Olarinde Famous Cole, said that there would be no hiding place for those who
come to Lagos to perpetrate crime, adding that the police would fish out of
your hiding.
All the suspects have been
transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further
investigation and prosecution.
Tags
Business