The Cross River state police have arrested a 41-year-old man, Achugo Kenneth Onyebuchi, two years after he was declared wanted for allegedly stealing 800 bags of cement.
Operatives attached to the zone six command apprehended the suspect while acting on a petition written by TSL company, where he worked as a truck driver.
Achugo of Ogoda community in Ahoada LGA, Rivers State was alleged to have tampered with the on-board tracking device (OBC) making it impossible for the company to track the real time location and visibility of the truck.
Police PRO, Nelson Okpabi, in a statement released on Saturday, said Onyebuchi absconded with an Articulated Truck, Registration No. APP 840 XW, loaded with 800 bags of cement valued at N33,469,930 on January 6 2022 from Calabar.
According to a police report, the suspect then delivered the goods to a customer in Owerri, Imo State.
He said that detectives acting on credible intelligence, swooped in to arrest Onyebuchi who lives at Flat B’, Ikot Nkebre Layout, 8′ Miles, Calabar on 1st December 2023.
The former company driver admitted during interrogation that he diverted the truck but he gave it to his friend, one Mr Hamilton at Akwa Ibom to complete the task without informing or seeking his employer’s approval as required.
Onyebuchi further revealed that an unknown person called his mobile phone days later informing him that the truck was intercepted by men of the Nigerian Customs in Edo State with contraband rice.
However, he said that he left Calabar and got two other jobs in Port Harcourt, Rivers and Enugu where he was arrested.
He regretted not reporting or informing the company of the whereabouts of the truck since 6th January, 2022, and attributed the altering of the company’s tracking device to Hamilton.
