Police arrest man over alleged Uber car theft

The Lagos State Police Command announced on Saturday that its operatives arrested a man who allegedly stole an Uber car from the driver through deception.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident. Hundeyin said that the Akinpelu Police Division received a report on July 5 at about 8:00 pm from an Uber driver, whose name was not disclosed.

According to him, the driver reported that he had picked up a passenger who identified himself as Isaiah from the NNPC Filling Station in Maryland and was taking him to a hotel in the Oshodi area. At the hotel, the suspect bought food for the driver, including a plate of pepper soup and an energy drink.

During the interaction, when the suspect was looking for a cotton bud to clean his ear, the driver handed him his car key to use. The suspect then went downstairs, took the car key, and drove away with the car.

A team of police officers on a stop-and-search operation at Boladale Street intercepted the suspect. When he could not provide a satisfactory account of the car’s ownership, he was arrested.

Hundeyin further stated that as the police were about to take the suspect to the station, the driver arrived at the scene and identified his car. The suspect has been detained for further investigation.