8 Lands in Trouble For Diverting Unilever’s N23m Goods

PAUL IYOGHOJIE

A truck driver, Segun Oguma and seven others, who allegedly diverted N23 million goods entrusted in their care by the management of Unilever Nigeria Plc located at Agbara area of Ogun State to deliver to a customer in Aba, Abia State have been arrested while offloading the goods into a warehouse at Okokomaiko area of Lagos State to enable them look for a buyer for it.

Their arrest, according to 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.

Police identified other suspects as Adamu Akilu, the supposed buyer of the goods; Ismaila Sefiu, owner of the truck; Saheed Tajudeen, conductor; and Solomon Alani, conductor. Others are Patrick Onwunyirimadu, Segun Ojo and Joseph Ubake.

Trouble began for the suspects when the management of Unilever engaged one Baba Apapa to help them look for a truck to convey about N23 million goods to a customer in Aba, Abia State and the said Baba Apapa contracted the driver in charge of a MAN Diesel truck with registration number KRD-679XU to do the job with a directive to him that he must divert the goods.

It was 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 their 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, DCP Kaoje dispatched a team led by Olaniyi Festus to the scene to arrest the suspects and recover the goods.

On sighting the police team, all the suspects took to their heels but the police pursued and arrested eight of them while Baba Apapa managed to escape.

The arrested suspects and the truck with the goods have been taken to the station.

During interrogation, according to the police, all the 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, Abia State.

A police source said all the suspects will be charged to court after the conclusion of the investigation.