Lagos driver, Eko accused of stealing employer’s N22.2m property lands in prison

By Paul Iyoghojie

A 33-year-old driver, Oluwatosin Eko, accused of stealing his employer’s properties valued at N22,280,000 in Ikoyi, Lagos and escaping has been arrested by the Police.

Eko was arrested by the police at the Ikoyi Division of the Lagos State Police Command, Lagos and charged before a Lagos Magistrate’s Court for stealing.

According to the police, Eko stole $3,200, 400 Euro, £200 and two sets of gold pieces of jewellery valued at N16,000,000, totalling N22.2m belonging to his employer, Aderonke Bakare Sodeke after she left him at home on trust and travelled.

The police said when the complainant came back from her trip to discover that her property had been stolen, the driver she left at home was nowhere to be found and his phone was not going, she reported the matter to the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in charge of Ikoyi division, Lagos, CSP Adedara Kehinde who swiftly swung into action and directed his crack team led by Inspector Tope Ijatuyi to fish out the fleeing driver anywhere he might be hiding.

The Police team after days of intelligence gathering tracked the driver to a hideout in Lagos and arrested him.

Eko was charged before the Igbosere Magistrate’s Court sitting at the Tinubu Magistrate’s Court, Lagos Island on a two-count of stealing.

The police prosecuting Counsel, Gbenga Salami told the Court in charge marked H/35/2024 that the defendant committed the offence between June and July 2024 at Ogun Street, Osborne Foreshore, Ikoyi, Lagos after the complainant travelled.

Salami told the court that the defendant betrayed the trust his employer reposed in him when she left him at home on trust and travelled, but that before she returned, the driver allegedly ransacked her employer’s apartment, stole her currencies and gold jewellery valued at N22,280,000 and escaped before he was tracked and arrested at a hideout.

He said the defendant’s offences were punishable under sections 411 and 287 (7) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and Magistrate B.A Sonuga granted him bail with two sureties in like sum.

Sonuga adjourned the case and ordered that the defendant be kept at the Ikoyi Correctional Facility, Ikoyi, Lagos till he perfected the bail conditions.