Painter Nabbed For Selling Customer’s N9m SUV To Police Officer For N1.5m

PAUL IYOGHOJIE

A 25-year old Ojodu, Lagos-based auto spray painter, Friday Eyaman, has been arrested by the operatives of the Federal Special Anti-robbery Squad, FSARS, Lagos for allegedly selling an unregistered Ford Edge SUV  entrusted in his care by a customer to repaint for him to a serving Police Officer who posed as a buyer at a giveaway price of N1.5million.

Police source said Eyaman’s arrest was made possible by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, in charge of FSARS Lagos, DCP Kola Kamaldeen, who directed his team led by SP Olaniyi Festus to arrest the suspect following an intelligence report he received from a source that the painter was looking for a buyer for his customer’s SUV.
Following the report, Festus and his team, in February, contacted the suspect and posed as a buyer of the SUV.

A member of the police team allegedly discussed the asking price of the SUV worth N9 million and the suspect demanded N1.5 million and that if the ‘buyer’ is interested, he should come over to Orile Bus Stop in Lagos to inspect the SUV and be ready to pay for it.

Unknown to Eyaman, a native of Kwale, Delta State, the person discussing with him about the SUV on the phone was a Police undercover agent.
Following the discussion, the Police team stormed Orile Bus Stop to mount positions ahead of the arrival of the suspect and as he drove the SUV to the location, the Police agent after inspecting the SUV, told the suspect to drive him to a nearby bank to withdraw money to pay for the SUV.

It was gathered that on their way to the bank, Festus and his team used their operational vehicle to block the SUV and arrested the suspect and the alleged buyer and took them with the SUV to the Station.
It was at the station that the suspect realised that the supposed buyer of the SUV was a Police Officer.

During investigation, Eyaman allegedly confessed to the crime that he decided to sell customer’s SUV to enable him raise money to perfect the bail conditions of his brother remanded in Kirikiri Prison, Apapa, Lagos for alleged manslaughter.

A Police source said that the suspect would be charge to Court after conclusion of investigations.