Suspects sell N11.5m goods to policeman for N3m

The Suspect

Source: Punch - The Ogun State Police Command has arrested two men for allegedly diverting goods worth N11.5m and attempting to sell it for N3m.

The Police Public Relations Officer for Ogun State, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi , said the suspects ─ Idowu Jimoh,42, and Emeka Godwin,21 ─ agreed to sell the goods for N3m to a policeman who worked undercover in order to catch the suspects red-handed.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the goods, said to be Nestle PLC products worth N11m, were loaded on a truck marked, LAGOS, LND 182 XB, which was headed for Abuja.

The police said the duo had made plans to divert and sell the goods before a police informant alerted the command.

Adejobi explained that a police detective was detailed to work undercover and gain the confidence of the suspects.

He said the detective managed to establish contact with Jimoh and Godwin and entered into negotiation with them. He added that the suspects agreed to sell the goods to the policemen for N3m.

The PPRO said, “The suspects are the driver of the truck, Idowu Jimoh of Kokale Coca Cola Area of Ota, Ogun State, who also hails from Epe in Lagos State and the motor boy, Emeka Godwin, who hails from the Anocha Local Government Area of Anambra State.

“The truck was loaded with Nestle PLC products worth 11.5m. The goods were meant for a customer in Abuja, but the duo planned to divert it to another place to sell.

“When the police detectives heard of the plan due to our intelligence gathering, they quickly keyed into the arrangement and a detective from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ogun State, entered into negotiation with the suspects through the help of an informant.

“The suspects agreed to sell the goods for N3m to the potential buyer (the police man) before they were eventually arrested at Ijoga Orile. They had tactically removed the tracker fixed on the truck so that the company would not be able to track its movement.

“The driver of the truck, Idowu, had worked in a company in Ota and was sacked for a similar offence of stealing and diverting a truck loaded with some chemical products. He is married with children and has even built a house.”

Adejobi said the Commissioner of Police, Ikemefuna Okoye, had directed SARS to carry out a thorough investigation of the matter and get others connected with the crime.

He added that the commissioner advised firms to screen their employees and install sophisticated vehicle trackers unlike the type which was removed by the driver.