Blind man, others arrested for stealing N20m goods

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 61-year-old blind man, Monday Iruanya, alongside three others, John Michael, Charles Chinoso and James Francis, for alleged robbery and stealing tyres valued at about N20m.

In a statement by the command, the tyres belonged to a businessman in Apapa and were stolen from a warehouse in Apapa area of the state and were being taken to Sagamu, Ogun State, for sale, when they were intercepted in Ijebu Ode by policemen, who had been on the trail of the criminals from Lagos.

Michael, who acted as the owner of the goods, had approached the blind suspect to help him get a way-bill so the security agents would not question his ownership of the items and Iruanya, who was released from the Kirikiri Prison for stealing in 2010, helped Michael procure the waybill, which listed the stolen items and the destination, after a promise of N100,000 from the proceeds.

Iruanya told the police that he wanted to use the money to treat his eyes, adding that he did not know the tyres were stolen.

“I was a transporter and had many cars. I was arrested in 2010 for stealing some spare parts, but I was later released. I became blind in 2012. My friend, Michael, came to me that he needed a waybill.

I got it at Tincan in Apapa and he promised to give me N100,000 to treat my eyes.

We were together at Sagamu waiting for the truck to arrive when the police arrested us. I did not know the content of the truck and whether the items were stolen.”

The driver of the vehicle conveying the tyres, Francis, said the tarpaulin they used to cover the goods had torn and they were trying to replace it when the police swooped on them at Ijebu Ode.

“It was a friend, Peter that invited me to the deal. But he fled at Ijebu Ode while we were looking for a tarpaulin to cover the tyres,” he said.

Chinonso who was the truck conductor, confessed to the crime, saying he was promised N150,000.