Police Reject N250, 000 to Divert N13.7million Goods – Suspects.

Matilda Omonaiye/

Four men and a woman held for allegedly diverting goods at the Tin Can Port, Apapa, Lagos, have told how they were busted by policemen who refused a bribe of N250, 000.

The syndicate include four men and a woman were exposed after they attempted to bribe police

The officers attached to the Festac Division of Area E Command, Lagos, were allegedly offered the bride to pave way for the diversion of a trailer-load of bags of cashew nuts worth N13.7 million meant for export.

The syndicate ran out of luck, when a team of policemen led by one Inspector Peter Alyasi attached to the Festac Division, while on stop and search patrol at a place called No Man’s Land, intercepted the trailer as the suspects were allegedly offloading the goods into a bus.

Inspector Alysi subsequently demanded to see the content of the goods and their vehicular documents, but he was offered N250, 000.

A police source said, “The woman claimed to be the owner of the goods, but when she was questioned, she began to fidget and offered to bribe the policemen to let the trailer go without inspection. The policemen pretended as if they were cooperating with the syndicate and the woman brought out N100, 000 cash and offered it to the policemen. Immediately, the policemen arrested her, the driver and others. The trailer loaded with cashew nuts was driven to the Area E Command, where the suspects were detained.”

Newsmakersng learnt that Inspector Alyasi, under the instructions of the Divisional Police Officer of the station, CSP Obong and the Area E Commander, found out the authentic owner of the goods as one Mr.  Bunmi Olumekun. They subsequently called him on the phone to come to the station and identify his goods.

Speaking about the arrest and how his goods were diverted, Olumekun who is the President of Frieght Forwarders Association of Nigeria said, “I received a call on my mobile phone and the person calling introduced himself as Inspector Peter Alyasi from Area E Command, Festac Town, Lagos. He said they had arrested the driver of a trailer I hired to move my cashew nuts from Oregun area to Apapa Port for exportation. I rushed down to the station and learnt that the driver of the trailer I hired with his motor-boy and three other persons diverted my goods. The Inspector Alyasi said the suspects offered him N250, 000, but his conscience did not allow him to take the money.  I am in shock that a driver will connive with others to divert goods he was paid handsomely for.

“I usually heard such stories but it has happened to me and I feel urgent steps should be taken to stop these syndicates operating in our ports. I commend the Inspector Peter Alyasi and his team for turning down the bribe. This has shown that there are good eggs in the Nigeria Police and not all of them are corrupt.”

The arrested driver, identified as Yemi Alanu, said he was deceived to divert the goods.

He said, “I was deceived to sell 20 bags of the cashew nuts for N2000 each. I did not know the price of the bags, but I later found out that each bag costs about N46, 000. I was diverting the goods in company of the woman who wanted to buy them to a warehouse in Festac Town, when the police arrested us. We made frantic efforts to bribe the police with N250, 000 but the Inspector Peter who was leading the team turned our offer down and arrested us. I feel bad for getting myself involved in this crime. I allowed the woman to deceive me and greed led me into this mess.”

The Area E Commander, ACP Auwal Muhammed praised the policemen for refusing the bribe. He said “I am very proud of the officers. This is to show that we have good crops of officers that will not take bribe. It is a good one and we must commend them.”

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