A Lagos-based property developer, Olakanmi Ogundele, has raised the alarm after a newly assigned driver disappeared with his Gelly saloon car just four days into his employment.
Ogundele told PUNCH Metro on Sunday that the driver, who initially identified himself as “Adeleye” but was later confirmed to be Olufemi Jogbodo, was deployed to him on November 18 after his former driver fell ill.
According to him, the suspect accompanied him on a trip to Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, on the day he resumed and returned with him to Lagos on November 20. Jogbodo also drove him to his Ikoyi office the following morning before fleeing with the car.
“My driver was sick, so I asked my company to get me another driver because I needed to travel. They brought this one on October 18. We travelled to Ijebu Ode together and came back on October 20. The next day, he took me to the office. While I was in a meeting, he told the security guards that I sent him on an errand… That was how he drove off and never returned,” Ogundele said.
He said the incident was reported to the tactical team at the Ikoyi Police Division, who immediately began tracking the suspect, though progress has been minimal.
A document seen by our correspondent shows the suspect, aged 44, resides on Dele Ogunbowale Street, Ikate, and maintains 11 bank accounts. While tracking him, some of his relatives — including his wife’s sister and a cousin — were arrested but later released after exceeding the lawful detention period. His 75-year-old mother was identified but not detained.
Ogundele added that the company manager who sourced the driver was also arrested and questioned. “The manager said I was in a hurry to travel, so he didn’t verify the driver’s information. Everything the suspect presented was fake. He even gave us a false name,” he said.
He further disclosed plans to place a bounty on the fugitive to aid his arrest and the recovery of the stolen car.
Efforts to reach the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Adebisi Abimbola, were unsuccessful, as calls and a text message sent to her phone were not responded to as of press time.
The case echoes previous incidents of impostor drivers stealing vehicles from unsuspecting employers in Lagos. In August, PUNCH Metro reported that the police busted a syndicate that planted fake drivers in homes and businesses. The ringleader, Chinedu Emmanuel, was arrested on July 17 in the Ogijo area of Ogun State for recruiting impostor drivers who fled with their employers’ vehicles, which were later transported to neighbouring countries.
