A security guard, Ali Muhammed, who allegedly stole a bus in the Magodo area of Lagos State in 2017, has been arrested by the police.
The Toyota Hiace, valued at N25m, reportedly belonged to a customer of a company, Autofit Maintenance Centre, where Muhammed worked as a guard.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the suspect had been in the employ of the company for about two years before he allegedly fled with the vehicle.
Our correspondent was told that the bus owner had taken it to the workshop for a maintenance check in July 2017 when the incident happened.
Efforts to get the suspect reportedly proved abortive, as he was unreachable on his telephone numbers.
It was learnt that the 25-year-old was tracked down to Kano State, where he was arrested by operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad.
The bus was also recovered.
Muhammed, in his statement to the police, said he stole the bus from the company with the help of a friend, adding that the bus was sold for N900,000.
He said, “I connived with one Haruna Mohammed to steal the Toyota bus from the company at 3am. We drove the bus out of the company premises and left Lagos for Zaria. We sold the bus for N900,000 to one mallam, who was introduced to me by Haruna.
“Afterwards, I travelled to Kano State and later travelled to Cameroon. During the period, my phone was faulty. I used my own share of the proceeds to buy soft drinks, which I sold in Cameroon.”
He was arraigned before an Ogba Magistrates’ Court on two counts of conspiracy and stealing.
The police prosecutor, Inspector Abiola Adewale, said the offences contravened sections 411 and 287 (1) (a) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015.
The charges read, “That you, Ali Mohammed, and others now at large, on July 20, 2017, around 10am, at CMD Magodo, Ketu, Lagos, in the Ikeja Magisterial District did conspire among yourselves to commit felony, to wit: stealing.
“That you, Ali Mohammed, on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned magisterial district, did steal one Toyota Hiace bus, valued at N25m, property of one Ayo Oludemi.”
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.