Robber lures Uber driver with suya to steal car

A robber who lured an Uber driver with suya to steal his car, has been arrested by operatives of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team in Lagos.

The 34-year-old robber identified as Iwueze Kingsley, had lured the unsuspecting Uber Driver named Clifford Echereode to a bar in the FESTAC area of Lagos on the night of April 22, 2019 under the pretence of needing his taxi service and also giving his suya. He reportedly claimed his brother was returning to Nigeria from Ghana that night, and so needed someone to pick him up.

While they waited for a few more minutes before heading to the airport, Iwueze who persuaded the victim to follow him to the said bar to take some drinks and barbecued meat popularly known as suya, had perfected his plan as the barbecued meat was laced with a drug known as ‘antivan’. The suspect later escaped with a Toyota Corolla car marked GGG 720 FK, an Infinix android smartphone and other valuables.

Confessing to the crime which got other members of his gang arrested, Iwueze claimed to be a National Diploma certificate holder in Public Administration from the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Imo State, said he never thought he could be arrested soon by the police.

He said, “In 2017, I got a job with UBA after initially being sacked while working as a driver for Ecobank. I was earning N50,000 every month at UBA and was satisfied with that until Moses Ugwu asked me to stop. He told me that there were better ways we could make quick money. He started by giving me fairly used cars to sell and after selling, he would give me N50,000.

“One weekend, he called and asked me to look for a clean car for him, that he had a business meeting in Lagos. I got him a Toyota Corolla being used for Uber and waited for him at the airport. When we picked him up, he told the taxi driver that he was hungry and wanted something to eat.

“He took us to a restaurant at Ajao Estate and told the driver that he was going to pay for his services for the whole day. He called me aside and showed me a tablet before asking me to buy suya across the road for the driver and sprinkle the powder on it. I was confused but obeyed. The happy driver took the suya and ate. Few minutes later, he fell asleep. Moses then took the driver’s car key and we left. It was while we were leaving that he told me that was his line of business.

“He gave me N50,000 and asked me to go home. Two days later, he paid N170,000 into my account. That was more than my salary for three months while working in the bank. I got carried away and decided to work with him. I joined him to do several jobs in Lagos before standing on my own. That was how I got into the business.

“You need to be generous to succeed. All I normally do is to board a lovely taxi and tell the driver to take me to any hotel of my choice. I usually tell the driver that I will sleep in the hotel and travel the next day to the village. I will tell him that I will pay for the days that I will need his service and will be ready to lodge him in the same hotel that I am staying.

“The taxi driver will be excited and he will agree. At that point, I will order for drinks and suya or food for him. The person that will bring the food is normally our agent, so his job is to lace the food and drink with the drug. Few minutes after taking the food, he will sleep off. I will collect the car key and drive off. It is very simple.

“In Lagos, we snatched three cars and sold them for N800,000 each. I have warned Kingsley several times to stop using the mobile phones of our victims but he did not listen. It was because of his carelessness that the police traced and arrested us. I was attending the burial ceremony of my sister when police arrested me.”

Other members of the gang, who all explained the different roles they played in carrying out these crimes, expressed regrets at involving in such, asking to be given a chance to repent. The IRT, while revealing that efforts were ongoing to track and arrest other fleeing members of the syndicate, said that those arrested would be charged to court at the end of investigations.