Lagos task force recovers N5m lost from bullion van

The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit (Task Force) yesterday disclosed that it was in custody of the sum of N5 million that fell – off bullion van late last year.

The task force, which claimed to have been in search of the owners but to no avail, decided to throw the case open, inviting the owners to come forward with reliable evidence to reclaim the fund.

The Guardian gathered that the sum, stashed in a sack, fell off a bullion van along Lagos State House of Assembly Complex road in Alausa, Ikeja, unnoticed sometimes in December 2015.

Chairman of the Task Force, Superintendent Olayinka Egbeyemi, yesterday said that two police officers attached to the agency recovered the money not far from their headquarters in Alausa.

The two Police Officers, Sergeant Ogunbiyi Agbabu and Inspector Eheziekia Abiona, said that the yet to be identified bullion van drove off them while they were on duty at the agency’s headquarters and “something fell off, which was later discovered to be N5m.”

While commending these officers, Egbeyemi noted that he was in similar shoes during his days as the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ilupeju Police Station, where he returned the sum of $130,000 and 50,000 pounds to owners of a bullion van where the money was stolen. The gesture earned him a lot of commendations.

The chairman added that it would not be out of place if appropriate authorities, especially the Police Force and Lagos State Government, give commendations to these “rare officers” for their honesty and integrity so as to encourage others.

He, however, said that any bullion van that drove through Lagos State House of Assembly Complex road between November and December 2015 with a missing N5 million should come forward with a strong proof of ownership of the money.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Task Force is to commence strict compliance on opening of street gates across state.
It would be recalled that recently, Lagos State Government directed that street gates across the State must be widely opened between the hour of 12 midnight to 6am for motorists and other road users on a daily basis and where it would be closed, someone must be there to open in case of emergency.

Landlords and property owners are hereby advised in their own interest to immediately comply with the government directive on this or risk been charged to court in accordance with the law.