A driver with the popular Nigerian phone retail outlet, Slot Nigeria Limited, has been arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad of the Lagos State Police Command over the diversion of N5.95 million worth of laptops, mobile phones and its accessories, just as it also assisted in the recovery of N4,654,224 worth of goods from the suspect.
The suspect, Olumide Babajide, 42, from Kwara State, was tracked and arrested in Kaduna State, where he diverted the goods to after taking them from the Slot Nigeria Office in Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos.
The driver, who was engaged only in March 2017 by the company, was directed to move the consignment to a Slot outlet in Victoria Island, Lagos on May 2, 2017, when he disappeared.
According to Olumide, a diploma in computer science holder, “I took the goods from Slot’s outlet in Ikeja. I was to deliver it to another outlet in Victoria Island, Lagos, but instead I took the goods to Pam-Pam Hotel, Ikeja, while I returned the company’s Hilux to R & S Hotel, where we normally park the company’s vehicles.
This wasn’t the first time I would be moving laptops, mobile phones and their accessories from one outlet to the other. Since I joined the company in March and I was assigned the job of a delivery man, it had been my idea to divert the goods and abscond.”
He continued: “As soon as it was 5:00 p.m. that very day, I took a drop from the hotel with the consignment to Ejigbo, where I boarded a Kaduna-bound bus.
Before I got to Kaduna, I already contacted one of the buyers. She bought N1.4 million worth of phones, laptops and phone accessories while I also sold in units to some other buyers as well.”
Sources disclosed that the suspect, at Kaduna, dashed out about 10 mobiles to passers-by. He also gave out two phones to a new mistress while he bought a Peugeot 206, 1999 model with new registration number DKA 859 KA, from the proceeds for N912, 000.
The father of three was also reported to have procured a 32 inch Samsung LCD for N62, 000 while lodging in a hotel, abandoning his wife and children.
SLOT is owned by astute businessman, Nnamdi Ezeigbo.