Police nabs, arraigns security guard one year after stealing N25m bus

The long arm of the law has caught up with a security guard identified as Ali Muhammed who allegedly stole a bus valued at N25 million in the year 2017.

According to reports, the suspect stole the Toyota Hiace which belonged to a customer of a company, Autofit Maintenance Centre, where Muhammed incidentally worked as a security guard.

The suspect reportedly stole the bus when the owner took it to the workshop for a maintenance check in July 2017.

He reportedly went into hiding after stealing the bus and was unreachable on his telephone numbers.

However, the police traced and tracked down the 25-year-old in Kano State, where he was arrested by operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad and the bus also recovered.

In his confessional statement, the suspect owned up to the crime and also revealed that he sold the bus for the sum of N900,000 with the help of a friend.

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Ali 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.”

The suspect was later paraded before an Ogba Magistrates’ Court on two counts of conspiracy and stealing.

While addressing the court, 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 Ali read thus, “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.”

Before adjourning the case of the suspect who pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against him till October 4, 2018, the presiding magistrate, W. A. Salami, granted him bail in the sum of N250,000, with two sureties each in like sum.

 

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