News Star newspaper

Wicked driver

TOYOSI OGUNSEYE
Mrs. Tinuke James (not real name) was in dire need of a driver because she was tired of the chaotic traffic in Lagos .
She was therefore glad when she got one in the person of Tony Ezemaka. Little did she know that he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
It took Tony less than 24 hours of being Tinuke’s driver to show his true colour as he absconded with his boss car, her international passport, laptops, bags and other valuables.
Luckily, Tony did not go too far as he was apprehended by men of the Sabo Police Station, Yaba, Lagos . Also arrested were six of his friends who allegedly bought the stolen goods from him.
In an interview with News Star, Tony attributed his act to the devil. “It was the devilish spirit that came all over me. I had been jobless for a long time and I was very happy when I got the job. It was the first day I started the work that I stole my madam’s car and all her valuables. I sold some of the items at Obalende and Yaba before I was arrested by the police.”
One of the suspects, Iyang David, who got Tony the job said he regretted doing so, “If I had known that doing good was going to land me in trouble, I would have been more careful. One of my neighbours at Onikan, said he needed a driver. I decided to tell my friend, Tony, about the offer because he had been jobless for a while. He eventually got the job and I was very happy for him.”
Iyang’s joy was, however, cut short when he learnt that his friend had disappeared with the car and its content, “On the day Tony started work, I was relaxing when I learnt that he was nowhere to be found. I was later arrested by the police because I was the one that introduced him to his boss.”
One of the buyers of the stolen goods, Austene Agbo, said he did not know the goods were stolen, “Tony brought a laptop to me and said it was for sale. When I asked him where he got the goods from, he told me that his madam asked him to sell them for her. He asked me to pay N30, 000 because it was not new. I gave him N18, 000 part payment until I was arrested. If I had known the item was stolen, I wouldn’t have bought it.”
Another suspect, Udoka Uduakebe, claimed that Tony gave him an international passport to keep. He said, “I was in my shop at Obalende when Tony gave me the passport. When I looked at the photograph in the passport, it belonged to a woman. When I asked him, he told me that I should just keep it. Later, he called me on phone and told me to bring it to him. When I got to where he was, I was arrested by the police.”
Confirming the arrests, the Police Public Relations Officer in Lagos , Mr. Frank Mba, cautioned people to be careful of the people they employ, “Their backgrounds should be thoroughly checked.”