By ANDREW OJIEZEL
The Nigeria Police in Lagos have arrested a 43-year-old trader, Enemmuo Amaechi, and a driver, Benson Odefila, for allegedly diverting a truckload of musical instruments cleared from the Lagos Port Complex, Apapa Port and valued at N19million.
Even as Amaechi, agreed that he bought the goods which I suspected were diverted based on the rough estimation of the goods.
According to Amaechi, who has his store in the Oyingbo area, he paid N600,000 for the goods worth N19 million.
It was gathered that the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) from the Zone 2 Command, Onikan, received a tip-off on November 7 that a truck loaded with musical instruments had been stolen from the Apapa area, and the policemen went on the trail of the truck.
It was learnt that the driver, 67-year-old Odefila, was thereafter arrested in the Ajangbadi area, and he confessed that he had sold the goods to Amaechi in Oyingbo.
The stolen items were afterwards recovered by the police in the trader’s store in Oyingbo, and he was arrested in the Agbado-Ijaiye area of Lagos.
Amaechi said he paid N600,000 to Odefila, who was a friend of the runaway driver, who diverted the truck from the port in Apapa.
The trader said he knew the goods were stolen, adding that he wanted to resell them and make profits.
“I did not know Odefila before now. It was a woman, an Alhaja, who was one of my customers in Oyingbo that introduced him to me. The woman said Odefila had a truck he wanted to dispose of. So I contacted the driver.
“He asked me to pay N600, 000, adding that the goods would be delivered to my store. I have my store in the Oyingbo area. I paid for the goods in two installments. I knew they were stolen goods, but I was tempted to get involved. My greed for profit drove me into this mess.”
Odefila, from Ilaje area of Ondo State, said, “I am a transporter. I am not the driver of the stolen truck, but I was the one who found the buyer. He gave me 10 cartons out of the musical instruments as my share. It is true that I collected N600, 000 from him.
“The original driver is Amass; he is on the run. I have not done this business before. Amass is notorious for diverting trucks from the Apapa port, but this is the first time he would send the goods through me.”
According to the police, exhibits recovered from the suspects include 218 units of guitar, 29 units of drum sets, 111 units of amplifiers, 20 speakers and five units of guitar stands.