Police nabs 3 for allegedly diverting N136.5m leased containers and selling to third party

Operatives of the Maritime Police Command, Force Headquarters, Annex Lagos have arrested three suspects and charged them before a Lagos Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing thirteen export containers valued at N136,500,000 belonging to four shipping lines at the Apapa Port, Lagos, Nigeria.

Police alleged that two of the defendants, Olaitan Ojora and Abdulsalam Muktar Oladipupo allegedly leased the thirteen empty export containers from the four shipping firms namely, MSC, HAPAG LLYOD, MAERSK and COSCO Shipping lines with the pretext of using the containers to deliver goods to their customers with the agreement to return the containers to the owners.

Police said that the defendants allegedly diverted the containers and sold them to the third defendant Agoro Yusuf Olamide instead of returning the containers to the owners.

Police further said that following the development, the complainants being represented by Ibrahim Isiaka Damyaro petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) who directed the Maritime Police Command, Force Headquarter, Lagos to fish out the defendants anywhere they might be hiding.

The police team busted the defendants at their hideout in Lagos through intelligence gathering and tracking.

After an investigation by Inspector Libi Bassey and team, the defendants were charged before the Igbosere Magistrates’ Court sitting at the Ebute Metta Magistrates’ Court on a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy, diversion and stealing.

Police counsel, Ben Ekundayo informed the court in the amended charge marked D/28A/2024 that the defendants committed the offence on 4 November 2022 at Lekki, Lagos.

Ekundayo told the court that the defendants leased the thirteen export containers from four complainants namely MSC; HAPAG LLYOD, MAERSK and LOSCO shipping lines with the pretext of using them to deliver goods to their customers with the agreement to return the containers to the owners, but that instead two of the defendants, Olaitan Ojora and Abdulsalam Muktar Oladipupo diverted the containers and sold them to the third defendants, Agoro Yusuf Olamide and fled before they were arrested.

He said the offences, the defendants committed were punishable under sections 411, 287, and 326 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and Magistrate, T. O. Abayomi ordered that they should continue to enjoy the previous bail granted them and adjourned the case till 15 January 2015 for mention.