SARS Arrests Two For Stealing Goods Worth N19.5m

    

Men of the Special Anti – Robbery Squad (SARS) attached to Zone 2, Lagos have arrested two suspects who specialised in the diversion of stolen goods from Apapa Sea Port.

The suspects, identified as Benson Odefila and Amechi Enemmuou, were arrested after buying a musical equipment loaded in a 40-feet container, valued at N19.5 million for just N600,000.

It was gathered that the truck driver was contracted by the owner of the container to transport the goods to his warehouse after it was cleared at the port, but he diverted and sold the goods for N600,000 to the suspects.

The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 2, Bala Hassan, who paraded the suspects before journalists, said the police got a distress call that some hoodlums had diverted a container with goods worth N19.5 million to an unknown destination within Lagos State.

“I directed the officer in charge of SARS, Peter Gana, to trail and apprehend the suspects. Through surveillance and information gathering, one of the suspects, Benson Odefila, was arrested at Ajangbadi area of the state.

During interrogation, he confessed to the crime and mentioned one Amas and two other members of his gang while another suspect identified as Amechi Enemmuou the receiver of the goods was arrested,” Hassan said.

The AIG said Enemmuou led operatives to recover all the goods. Enemmuou admitted committing the crime but blamed greed for his involvement. He said: “The price at which the goods were sold to me was difficult to resist. I am a trader and I deal on motorcycle parts at Oyingbo Market.

It was Odefila that brought the business to me. I didn’t know him before then. “It was one of my customers that introduced the suspects to me. He told me that the goods were stolen from the sea port and that they were ready to sell it at a giveaway price.

I asked how much and he said just N2 million. After seeing the goods in the container, I told him all I could afford was N600,000 and they agreed.I gave the money to Odefila and I took possession of the goods, but a few days later, he brought policemen to my house and I was arrested. I regret finding myself in this mess.” Hassan said the suspects would soon be charged to court after completion of investigation.