“I Stole My Employer’s Car to Punish Him for Treating Me Like a Slave” – Suspect

A domestic worker, Salaudeen Abdulbaki, has admitted to stealing his employer’s Range Rover in retaliation for alleged mistreatment. Abdulbaki was arrested in Jabi, Abuja, while attempting to sell the stolen vehicle for N30 million.

According to police reports, Abdulbaki worked for Chief Olasode Martins, a resident of a private estate in Lagos, for four months before leaving the job. He claimed that despite promises of a better future, his employer began treating him poorly and reduced his pay, prompting him to resign and later steal the unregistered Range Rover.

During a press briefing at the Zone 2 Police Command in Lagos, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Adegoke Fayoade, represented by the Zonal Public Relations Officer, Ummar Ayuba, revealed that the arrest was made following a petition filed by Chief Martins. The petition, dated July 11, 2024, alleged that criminal syndicates had broken into his estate and stolen his white Range Rover.

Investigators traced the crime back to Abdulbaki, who had coordinated the theft by sending an accomplice to the estate. Using a new SIM card to impersonate his employer, Abdulbaki tricked security guards into allowing the vehicle to leave the premises. The SUV was hidden in Zuba for a month before being moved to Abuja, where police eventually recovered it.

Abdulbaki, who confessed to orchestrating the theft, remains in police custody. The case is under further investigation.