The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 36 Year-old driver who allegedly stole his employer’s car on his first day at work.
The suspect, Amos Daniel, was further alleged to have taken the stolen Lexus car to church to seek his pastor’s blessings and testify that God provided him with the vehicle.
Lagos State Police spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hudenyin, who revealed Daniel’s action while briefing journalists on Tuesday, also paraded two dismissed soldiers, Akeem Suleiman and Abdulau Mohammed, along with two civilian accomplices, alongside other suspects for their involvement in a robbery gang.
The gang allegedly carried out operations wearing military headgear.
The police recovered military headgear, uniforms and identity cards from the dismissed soldiers.
Hudenyin said, “We have successfully arrested a robbery gang through our tactical team based in Surulere. The four-man gang specialised in snatching vehicles at gunpoint from motorists in Lagos.
“They have been operating for quite a long time. Two of them are dismissed soldiers, one was dismissed in 2014 and the other in 2017. They carried out their crime wearing full military gear.
“We also have somebody who was employed as a driver. Unfortunately, the employer did not do due diligence. The same day he resumed as a driver, he ran away with the car and could not be traced.
“Interestingly, he dedicated the car in church the following Sunday, testifying of what God had done to him.”
Meanwhile, in a viral video on social media, a man who identified as Daniel but did not show his face, explained that on his first day at work, he decided to take his boss’s car to church.
He claimed the vehicle his intention was to use the car for Uber services.
“I was employed as a driver, and then I took my madam’s car to the church to go and do testimony in the church to tell people what God has done for me.
“I stole my madam’s Lexus car and took it to the church to testify that God has blessed me. I intended to use it for Uber and use the proceeds to pay my debt. I stole the car on June 23, 2024, the very first day I was employed, and I took it to church on June 30, 2024.”
READ ALSO: Three-year-old drowns in Lagos cesspit
The police also paraded a 25-year-old suspect, Thankgod Kesh-David, who posed as a roadside mechanic to repair broken-down vehicles, only to disappear with them.
One of the dismissed soldiers, Akeem Suleiman, who claimed he was dismissed from the Nigerian Army in 2017 for desertion, told journalists “I started robbery in April 2024. Anytime we steal a car, I drive it to the receiver’s place. We steal cars randomly. If we see anyone parked and wound down, we drag them out and zoom off in the car. We operate in the Ajah area of Lagos, with a local gun. But we never killed our victims.”
The Command’s spokesman advised employers to exercise due diligence when hiring drivers or domestic staff and to conduct background checks at the Central Criminal Registry at the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Alagbon, and the forensic unit before employment.
He added that the suspects will be charged in court for their crimes.
