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.
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