Two suspected articulated vehicle hijackers were on Saturday night arrested by the police in Lagos with a tanker laden with 40,000 litre petroleum products.
The suspects, Charles Oblomo, 37, and Onyeka Osita, 35, were apprehended by detectives attached to Itire Itire Division, police spokesman Bala Elkana said in a statement on Sunday.
According to Elkana, the suspects had hijacked a DAF 85 tanker with registration number Gage743XN and held the driver Muhammadu Mande, 42, and his motorboy Lawali Usman, 34 hostage.
He said police team on patrol led by Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Barkfur Kromkyes along the Iyana Itire-Mile Two pin down point.
“In his statement, the truck driver averred that his truck loaded with 40,000 litres of PMS at Swift Depot, Apapa was billed for Kontagora, Niger State.
That on getting to a bad portion of the road at Mile 2, four men in military uniform stopped him and asked what product he was carrying before ordering him and his conductor out of the truck into a red Toyota Corrola.
“The two suspects in Police custody, Charles Oblomo and Osita Onyeka took possession of the truck. The driver and his conductor were sandwiched by the four men in military uniform in the Toyota Corolla.
The truck was driving behind the Toyota Corolla and heading to an unknown destination before it was intercepted by the police,” he said.
Elkana said the driver stated that he initially thought the four men were military personnel on stop and search operation until they started beating him and his conductor.
He said the driver alleged that the men threatened to kill them if they failed to follow their orders, adding that the four suspects fled with gunshot wounds they got during a fierce battle with the police.
“The truck and the Toyota Corolla were recovered and moved to the police station. Two pairs of vehicle plate numbers and military caps were recovered in the corolla.
The truck containing the PMS was handed over to the owner, Sani Samaila, 55, the Manager, Petroleum Nigeria Limited, Kontagora, Niger State.
“The owner of the truck was full of gratitude to the Commissioner of Police Lagos State Command for coming to their rescue.
He said that truck owners have suffered a lot of losses from the activities of those truck hijackers in the past without remedy but since the arrival of the Commissioner of Police and the deployment of police officers on vehicles and motorcycles patrols, such ugly incidents have reduced.
“According to him, the syndicate usually hijacked trucks, offload the content in locations, mostly outside Lagos State and abandon the truck for the owners to find after some days or weeks.
“The Commissioner of Police Hakeem Odumosu has directed the Commander, Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) to take over the investigation and ensure that the fleeing suspects are arrested. Investigation is ongoing, the two suspects will be charged to court,” he said.
