Driver who reported leased car stolen, arrested after bank alert

Taiwo Jimoh

An Uber driver, Ademola Quadri (39), has been arrested after police investigators found a bank alert of N560, 000 among the messages on his phone.

Quadri had earlier rushed to Igando Police Station, to lodge a complaint that the Toyota Corrolla Saloon Car, marked SMK 732BR, property of Pine Hill Leasing Limited, had been snatched from him.

He would have got away with the crime, but for the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), in charge of Igando Police Station, a Chief Superintendent of Police, (CSP), Taiwo Kasumu, who had a hunch that something was not too straight about Quadri’s story.

When Quadri realized that he had been found out, he confessed that he actually sold the car, intending to use the proceeds to travel to Canada in search of greener pastures. 

Police investigators have arrested Quadri, along with the Uche Sunday (32), who is the middleman. Police disclosed that Sunday linked Quadri to the buyer, who has also been arrested for questioning.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Bala Elkana, while confirming the arrest of the Quadri and others, explained that on July 1, Quadri made a complaint at the Igando Police Station, claiming that three men snatched the Toyota Corrolla Saloon Car with registration number SMK 732BR, a property of Pine Hill Leasing Limited.

Elkana said: “The car was leased to him for the purpose of using it for his Uber transportation business. After the matter was reported, the Igando DPO, CSP Taiwo Kasumu, suspected something sinister. Investigation by revealed that Quadri received phone calls and text messages prior to reporting to the police that his car had been stolen.

“Further findings by the police showed he received a bank alert of N560, 000 on his phone, with a follow up message from an anonymous person, demanding to have the car since a part payment has been made to him.

 “During interrogation, Quadri confessed to have sold the car with the intention of using the proceeds to travel to Canada for greener pastures. He later led detectives to Ijegun area of Ikotun, where the purported snatched vehicle was kept pending full payment. Sunday, who claimed to have negotiated online with the buyer of the car, has been arrested. The buyer has also been arrested.”

The police image maker said that the suspects would soon be charged to court.