The Bayelsa State Police Command, has arrested one Tobi Israel, 30 years, over his alleged involvement in the theft of a Hilux utility vehicle belonging to CCECC Nigeria Limited, a Chinese road construction firm handling the Yenagoa-Oporoma road project for the Bayelsa State Government.
Tobi Israel, according CCECC sources, who is an indigene of Elemebiri in Sagbama Local Government area of the State, had on the 4th of December eloped with the company’s vehicle worth over N20 million after an official trip to Abuja on behalf of the company and security details.
DAILY POST, gathered that when he dropped the company’s security details after arriving from Abuja, “he just drove out as if he wanted to go wash the Hilux, but eloped with the vehicle”.
DAILY POST, also gathered that the suspect switched off phones and took the vehicle to Amoke Community in Ahoada West Local Government area of Rivers state where he put up the hilux utility vehicle for sale at N16 million. A buyer, however, reportedly priced the vehicle for N8 million and he refused.
Another company source told DAILY POST that one of the managers of the CCECC Nigeria Limited identified as Bright Cheng, however, filed a petition to the State Police Commissioner, Ben Okolo, and the operatives of the Operation Puff Adder swung into action and tracked the suspect to Rivers State.
The suspect was tracked and arrested with the help of his girlfriend who resides in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, “he changed his phone and got another line with which he called his girlfriend. When the police tracked him to where he packed the vehicle, the hilux was already being butchered for sale.”
