A 27-year-old company driver, Godwin Eneche, has been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly stealing a Hilux van which belongs to the company he works for, Cerendry Solutions.
Eneche, however, said that he took the vehicle from the company which is located on Victoria Island and drove it to Kaduna State after the company deducted N25,000 from his monthly salary which he considered as improper.
The suspect said a reckless driver had hit the vehicle and the company management had said he was responsible for the damage.
According to the police, the case of conspiracy and stealing was reported by one of the executives of the company, Mrs. Salamat, to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja.
Our correspondent learnt that the suspect took the van to the Maraba Rido area of Kaduna and was allegedly looking for buyers when the SARS team went after him.
It was gathered that Godwin was arrested on Monday, November 2, while the vehicle had also been recovered.
Eneche said after the deduction of his salary which he considered as unjust, he had no option but to take the vehicle to his friends in Kaduna State to sell it.
The suspect added that one of his prospective buyers, identified as Alhaji, had offered to pay N800, 000 for the van before the police arrested him.
He said, “After finishing my secondary school education, I got a job as a driver with Cerendry Solutions on Victoria Island. I have worked with them for a number of years.
“In June 2015, I had an accident. It was not my fault. A reckless driver had brushed the vehicle and it needed repairs. My supervisor, who was also there, said the man should not pay for the damage, and he left.
“But when I returned to the office, they deducted money from my salary. My supervisor did not plead with the management on my behalf. They deducted about N25, 500. I felt cheated.
“So, I escaped with the Hilux in October. I then took it to my family house in Abuja, and told my uncle what had happened. He was afraid. So I moved on to Kaduna. I was in the Maraba Rido area. I was using the vehicle to convey tomatoes and pepper. I was also looking for buyers.
“One of the prospective buyers was one Alhaji, who wanted to buy the van for N800,000. That was on October 29. But I was arrested on October 30. I was arrested in Kaduna and driven to Lagos. But if I secure my release, I will not go back to crime. This is my first time of being arrested by the police.”
The state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said the case was under investigation, adding that the command would ensure that criminals were dealt with by the police.
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