According to him, he was baited with N2million and compelled to swallow a cowrie in order to carry out the job. He identified one of those that recruited him to steal as Ismaila.
The suspect was arrested along with Jimoh Adeleye, Wasiu Azeez and Adeniran Jacob.
Lawal said: “Ismaila came to me just as I was about to drive out of the loading bay. He asked me how much I have made since I’ve been driving. I told that I just joined the haulage company. He asked me, if you see N2 million, what would you do with it? I said I would quit truck driving. He told me that he would introduce me to a deal.”
Lawal continued: “While Ismaila’s two other colleagues were waiting in the Toyota Corrolla, Ismaila took me to a corner and brought out a cowrie. He told me that I would have to swallow the cowrie as a sign of bond between us. He said that if we divulged the secret between us, we would die instantly. I took the cowrie and swallowed it. Immediately I did that, I observed that whatever instruction he gave me, I obeyed it without a second thought.”
Operatives of Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Ikeja, Lagos State Police Command, arrested Lawal, not only for conniving with three others to steal 600 bags of flour from his company, but also for cannibalising the company’s truck for sale.
Police said that Lawal, after moving the bags of flour, gave them to a buyer. He took the truck to Ilorin, Kwara State, where it was dismembered and sold in pieces.
Lawal, who was recruited by the company the same day to move the 600 bags of flour to a bakery in Ibadan, Oyo State, was baited with N2 million by his accomplices to do their bidding, diverted the 600 bags of flour to Sagamu instead of its scheduled destination.
He said: “We entered Sagamu. It was very early in the morning and I couldn’t identify anywhere. All along, they acted as escort for the truck to Sagamu. One of them was in the truck with me because the motor boy didn’t follow us. We put a new truck head, and they gave me N50, 000. We agreed that I should drive the truck head to Kwara State in company of two other members of the team to sell it off. We got to Ilorin around 7:15 a.m. on Monday. I took the two guys to where I live with my wife. They promised to return with my share of N2 million as soon as bank opens. They collected N15, 000 for hotel accommodation from the N50, 000:00 they gave me.
“When I didn’t see them that day and the following day, I agreed with a buyer to knock down the truck into pieces for N450, 000. It was after we dismembered the truck, that RRS operatives arrested me.
The management of the haulage firm, where Lawal works, said it was yet to see his motor boy. It is feared that Lawal and his accomplices has killed him.
Lawal insisted that the motor boy didn’t follow them on the trip. The motor boy’s phone has remained switched off since the incident.
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