The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a truck driver, Abiodun Sarafadeen, for allegedly drugging his supervisor before escaping with goods worth forty million naira.
Sarafadeen, 32, was arrested alongside nine others who conspired with him to sell the stolen goods. Other suspects were: Adekunle Owoyode, Olasode Hammed, Ismaila Oyelowo, Abiodun Azeez, Quadri Afeez, Sulaimon Olamilekan, Hamidu Tafa, Jelili Olowoaje and Wasilat Taiwo
While parading the suspects before newmen on Monday, Oyo State Police Commissioner, Shina Olukolu, said Sarafadeen had been working for his boss for two years before he committed the crime.
Newsafresh.com learnt that the suspect had not been in the good book of his boss due to his mischievous nature, prompting the latter to direct his younger brother, Abel, to supervise the driver anytime he wanted to pick up or deliver goods.
But on August 22, 2019, Sarafadeen drugged the young man and escaped with four hundred and ten generating sets and five hundred and sixty 4-litre bottles of engine oil worth forty million naira.
He then contacted his friend, Oyelowo, on phone and the latter found a woman who was willing to help them sell the goods in Oyo town.
His boss however got wind of the conspiracy when he called Abel on phone and could not get a reasonable answer on the whereabouts of the good from the victim who had just woken from a twenty-four-hour sleep.
The police were alerted and the suspects were subsequently apprehended.
Speaking on his arrest, Sarafadeen confessed that he decided to steal the goods because he needed money.
He said: ” I stole the goods because I needed some money. We picked up the goods in Lagos and were supposed to deliver them in Port Harcourt but I put a sleeping pill in Abel’s drink and diverted the goods to be sold in Oyo.”
Taiwo, the only female amongst the suspects, however said she was not aware of the stolen goods and was only told she would take delivery of vegetable oil.
The petty trader said that was why she was surprised to see generating sets being offloaded in front of her shop and upon enquiry, she was told the situation would be explained to her, a chance she couldn’t get before her arrest.
Meanwhile, CP Olukolu has said the suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.