Stealing from our bosses is normal for drivers, says suspect

Sola Adeyemo

A 21-year-old truck driver, Adenuga Michael, arrested for diverting a truck load of tricycles worth N14, 400, 000, has told police that stealing was normal for most drivers.

The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Shina Olukolu, said that Michael and Saheed Yekini (27), the truck conductor, were offloading the tricycles when police arrested them.

They were arrested in their hideout at Odo Ona Kekere area of Ibadan. Police recovered the Mark Truck with registration number Lagos KTU 400 XB.

Olukolu said: "This operation was successful based on the information that reached our SARS Office at Dugbe, that some hoodlums were seen offloading brand new tricycles from a truck. Our policemen raced to the scene and arrested the suspects’ right in the act.”

Michael said: "We never had any intention of diverting the whole goods. We just wanted to move four out of the goods and sell them to make profit for ourselves. It’s a normal runs for we drivers. But we had not even removed the four pieces of the tricycles before we were arrested.”

Similarly, Kola Abiodun (40) was arrested for hijacking a truck fully loaded with Premium Motor Spirit otherwise called Petrol. He was presented to journalists among other 18 suspects.

Olukolu said: “The suspected hijacker was arrested along the Lagos Ibadan Express way on March 2, 2019, at about 7 am, while attempting to divert a fully loaded truck loaded with 33, 000 liters of petrol. Our men, based on information arrested Kola. The hijacked PMS has been siphoned into 16 drums and 12 kegs while the truck had been taken to an unknown destination. The products recovered from the hideout had been transferred to SARS Office, Dugbe Ibadan. The suspects have confessed to the crime and will soon be charged to court.”