The suspected leader of a syndicate involved in diverting goods from their destination has admitted carrying out the act, saying that it was meant as a payback for the transporter of the goods who was fond of underpaying for the services rendered by others.
The suspect, Mutairu Aliu, was arrested with four others by the Monitoring Unit of Oyo State Police Command for allegedly diverting a DAF truck loaded with 3,137 cartons of Terra seasoning cubes worth N18 million.
Briefing journalists on the arrest of the suspects recently, the Commissioner of Police, Adebola Hamzat, said that the operatives of the Monitoring Unit, led by its Commander, CSP Olusola Aremu, got a credible information on February 4, at about 11 p.m. while on patrol, that some suspected members of a syndicate who specialised in hijacking and diverting trucks loaded with valuable goods had just diverted a DAF Truck loaded with seasoning cubes to a hideout where the goods would be distributed to their criminal receivers.
The police commissioner stated that the information made the operatives to act promptly, leading to the arrest of five gang members. They included Aliu, Wahab Ibrahim, Ayodele Olalekan, Ojo Sulaimon and Mudashiru Oyelami.
CP Hamzat stated further that when the DAF Truck was recovered and inspected, the operatives found out that it was loaded with 3,137 cartons of Terra seasoning cubes valued at N18 million. The police boss gave assurance of diligent prosecution after the completion of investigation.
Aliu, a 64-year-old man who hailed from Omuo Ekiti but was shuttling told the Nigerian Tribune that his syndicate members did not hijack the truck conveying the goods but deliberately diverted it.
According to him, “I was a transporter from the beginning. I was driving trucks. The man handling the conveyance of the goods is also a transporter. I was the one who got his number but he was not paying the adequate fee to those who were conveying the goods.
“For example, for goods being taken to Kano State from the South West, he would pay between N1 million and N1.2 million instead of over N2 million. For Kaduna, it was N1.8 million, but he would pay much less than that.
“I knew he always had goods to convey to other states, so I gave Wahab his phone number. Wahab was to go to a company to load the seasoning cubes intended for Kaduna State from Ogun State. He told me that the transporter said that he would pay N1.05 million, out of which he gave N600,000 for diesel.
“I was unhappy that he was not paying the expected amount, so we decided to divert the goods as punishment for short-paying us. After loading the goods, I asked Wahab to bring them to Ogbomoso and I went to meet him there.
“The person who wanted to buy the cubes was not also ready to pay a reasonable amount, offering N10 million. That was how the driver, Oyelami, told me that he had someone who would buy and pay better. At a point, I didn’t see the truck again. We asked the driver and he said that he was at Orile Igbon where he would get a buyer. We were still waiting for the buyer when police came to arrest us.
“So, we did not hijack the truck, we deliberately planned the diversion. I acted this way because of poverty in the country.”
Another suspect, Olalekan from Ikare Akoko, Ondo State and aged 48, gave the story of his involvement thus: “I live in Lagos driving a tipper lorry. My friend, Alubarika, called me and said he had a vehicle to give me to load goods. He called Ojo, who also got a driver, Oyelami, but I later heard that the vehicle had been taken to another place to load goods.
“I went there in Sagamu and I was told about intended diversion. I agreed with them and followed them, but we didn’t get a good buyer. We were still waiting when police came and arrested us. I joined them because I didn’t have money to survive on.”
Olalekan further confessed that he was introduced to goods diversion by a friend and had joined a syndicate once before the latest one. According to him, “there was a man called Owolabi. He was a transporter who planned the diversion. He told one man called Friday, who also called me. He told me about a planned diversion of goods and asked if I could get a truck.
“I called Ojo and he got the driver, Oyelami. We loaded the soybeans meant for the north and sold it in Ibadan. It was in January and I got N500,000.” He disclosed that he also followed a syndicate to divert goods at another time but it was unsuccessful.
Ojo, aged 42, an Ibadan indigene and a truck mechanic, also stated his side of the story: “One Alubarika called and told me to help look for a vehicle to convey goods. I got the vehicle and the driver was informed of our plan to divert the goods. It was the driver who took us to OrileIgbon to sell the goods. That was where we were arrested.”
He disclosed that he was also part of the diversion of soybeans from which he got about N800,000.
The driver among the syndicate members, Oyelami, who is aged 43 and an indigene of Ogbomoso living in Ibadan, made his confession thus: “Ojo is a mechanic to the truck owner. I was at home when he gave me a call that someone asked him to come to Sagamu to bring goods to Ibadan.
“I told him to inform my boss, and within 30 minutes, he called back and told me he had informed him. We went to the boss and he demanded N400,000 for the conveyance of the goods we were called for. While N200,000 would be for him, the remaining N200,000 would be for buying diesel and payment for my job.
“I was told that we were going to load juice from a company in Sagamu. Our journey to the place was late and we slept at Ogere. We left for Sagamu but spent three days by the roadside. We eventually loaded seasoning cubes in another company, not juice that I was told.”
Admitting that he was told of diverting the goods, Oyelami went futher: “I became apprehensive but was told not to worry. Our phones were collected so that we would not call anyone to disclose the diversion.
“We loaded at about 10 a.m. but waited till evening before moving to Ogbomoso. When police came, I ran and hid in the bush and came out at about 3 a.m. At daybreak, I went to my family house in Ogbomoso to inform them of the diversion of goods that I was part of, and I was told to call my boss to let him know.
“My boss was angry that I supported such illegality and I told him that it was Ojo who brought the mastermind. He told me to come to Ibadan since the truck had been taken from where I left it. That was how I submitted myself to the police.”
He further confessed that he once participated in a diversion of soybeans which yielded N100,000 for him.
