“I sold 10 bags of stolen soya beans, but my buyers hijacked the truck and took 75 more” — Driver confesses

A 44-year-old truck driver, Sunday, has admitted involvement in a failed attempt to divert a large consignment of soya beans during transit from Ogun State to Lagos, a case that ended with police recovery of the goods and his arrest in Oyo State.

The Oyo State Police Command, through its Monitoring Unit, arrested the suspect after he fled following the incident. Commissioner of Police for the state, Olugbenga Ayodeji Abimbola, confirmed the arrest while briefing journalists on recent operations targeting criminal activity in the state.

Police said Sunday was assigned to transport 462 bags of soya beans loaded at Abule Osun along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State, using a Mack truck, with Apapa in Lagos as the final destination.

Investigators allege that instead of completing the trip, the driver diverted the truck to Onigaari Village in Oyo State in collaboration with others. The movement triggered an investigation after the company reported the vehicle missing.

Sunday initially claimed the truck was hijacked by armed men, but officers said inconsistencies in his account, including his disappearance from the scene, raised suspicion. The truck was later found abandoned in Onigaari Village, with 85 bags of soya beans missing.

Acting on intelligence, police recovered the missing bags from a location near Eleekara in Oyo Town. Authorities confirmed that all recovered goods have been returned to the company.

In his statement, Sunday described how the plan started and how it collapsed. He said a colleague introduced him to the idea of selling goods in transit when no seal was on the container.

“I loaded the bags of soya beans from Abule Osun,” he said. “A fellow driver told me I could sell from the goods if there was no seal on the container.”

He admitted selling part of the cargo but claimed events quickly spiraled out of control.

“I sold 10 bags after linking up with buyers introduced to me along the road,” he said. “But after I left to get fuel and look for a mechanic, I discovered the truck had been tampered with and later moved.”

According to him, confusion followed when he tried to trace the vehicle.

“I saw the truck being driven away. I tried to follow, but I couldn’t catch up,” he said.

Police also revealed that while Sunday was in custody, about ₦1.5 million linked to the transaction was paid into his account. The funds have since been recovered.

The suspect, who hails from Ogbomoso, admitted wrongdoing and said it was his first involvement in such activity. He is currently in police custody as investigations continue to identify other individuals linked to the case.