A fleeing robbery suspect, Amos Daniel, 36, who stole his employer’s vehicle on the same day he was hired as a driver, has been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command.
Daniel confessed to taking the car to his church to give testimony about God’s miraculous provision.
In a related case, two dismissed soldiers, Akeem Suleiman and Abdulau Mohammed, along with two civilian members of their gang, were paraded among other suspects. They allegedly carried out operations wearing military headgear. Recovered from the dismissed soldiers were military headgear, uniforms, and identity cards.
Also paraded was 25-year-old Thankgod Kesh-David, who posed as a roadside mechanic to repair broken-down vehicles, only to disappear with them.
Briefing journalists at the Command Headquarters in Ikeja, the spokesman for the command, SP Benjamin Hudenyin, said, “We have successfully arrested a robbery gang through our tactical team based in Surulere. The four-man gang specialized in snatching vehicles at gunpoint from motorists in Lagos. They have been operating for quite a long time. Two of them are dismissed soldiers, one was dismissed in 2014 and the other in 2017. They carried out their crimes wearing full military gear.
“We also have somebody who was employed as a driver. Unfortunately, the employer did not do due diligence. The same day he resumed as a driver, he ran away with the car and could not be traced. Interestingly, he dedicated the car in church the following Sunday, testifying of what God had done for him.”
Speaking with journalists, the arrested driver, Daniel, said, “I stole my madam’s Lexus car and took it to the church to testify that God has blessed me. I intended to use it for Uber and use the proceeds to pay my debt. I stole the car on June 23, 2024, the very first day I was employed, and I took it to church on June 30, 2024.”
One of the dismissed soldiers, Akeem Suleiman, who claimed he was dismissed from the Nigerian Army in 2017 for desertion, told journalists, “I started robbery in April 2024. Anytime we steal a car, I drive it to the receiver’s place. We steal cars randomly. If we see anyone parked and wound down, we drag them out and zoom off in the car. We operate in the Ajah area of Lagos, with a local gun. But we never killed our victims.”
The Command’s spokesman advised that due diligence should be exercised when employing a driver or domestic staff. He suggested that they be taken to the Central Criminal Registry at the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Alagbon, and the forensic unit before employment. The suspects will be charged in court.
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