By Evelyn Usman

Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a driver with Slot Nigeria Limited, for allegedly diverting laptops and telephones worth N5.95 million from Victoria Island, Lagos State, to Kaduna State.

At the time of arrest, the suspect, Olumide Babajide, 42, had sold over N1 million worth of the goods.

During interrogation, the suspect said he abandoned his wife and three children in Lagos to enjoy proceeds of the loot with his new girlfriend in Kaduna.

Information at Vanguard’s disposal revealed that the suspect, who was employed two months ago, was to take the goods from the company’s Ikeja office to a customer in Victoria Island, but never returned until he was traced to Kaduna.

The driver and some of his loot.

Admitting to the crime, Olumide, a Diploma in Computer Science holder, said: “I took the goods from Slot’s outlet in Ikeja. I was to deliver them to another outlet in Victoria Island. But I took the goods to a hotel in Ikeja, while I returned the company’s Hilux car to another hotel, where we normally park the company’s vehicles.

”It is not the first time I will  be moving laptops, mobile phones and their accessories from one outlet to the other.  Since I joined the company in March and I was assigned the job of a delivery man; it had been my plan to divert the goods and abscond.

“An opportunity came two weeks ago. As soon as it was 5p.m., I took a drop from the hotel with the consignment to Ejigbo, where I boarded a Kaduna-bound bus.

“Before I got to Kaduna, I already contacted one of the buyers. She bought N1.4 million worth of phones, laptops and phone accessories, while I also sold in units to some other buyers.”

During preliminary investigation, the suspect was discovered to have given out about 10 mobile phones to passers-by and two phones to his girlfriend in Kaduna.

Out of the money realised from the sales, the father of three said, he bought a Peugeot 206, 1999 model for N912,000. He also claimed to have bought a 32 inch Samsung LCD for N62, 000.

“I abandoned my wife and three children in Lagos to enjoy my money; I lodged in a hotel in Kaduna with my new girlfriend,” he concluded.