Police arrest Uber drivers alleged killers

The police in Lagos have arrested two men who allegedly killed an Uber driver and stole his Hyundai Elantra car.

Peter Robert, 33, and Gideon Achibong, 36, were arrested on February 4 at about noon in Aboki Estate, Lekki, while removing the car parts for sale to a scrap metal dealer, the police said in a statement on Monday.

“The arrest of the suspects followed a directive from the new State Police boss, Zubairu Muazu, to the Commander of the RRS, Olatunji Disu, that the culprits should be fished out and made to face the full wrath of the law,” the statement said.

According to the police, Mr Robert, who is an ex-convict and a bus conductor, conspired with three others (now at large) to hijack and Uber cab (registration number EPE 676 EC), sell it, three days before his arrest.

“On the said day, the quartet: Emma, David, Dolapo and Peter–Robert at around 11:00 p.m waved down the deceased, Sunday Obasi in Lekki. They told him they were going to Ikate and he charged them N1,000.

“Before getting to their destination, the suspects told the driver that they wanted to ease themselves. It was at this point they descended on the driver. They killed him and pushed him off the car into the road before driving the car to Beach Road, Lekki, where they hid it for two days while looking for buyer.”

The police statement quoted Mr Robert as saying that he sat at the front of the car during the operation.

“We seized and hit him with stones several times. He complained that he was sick. We pushed him beside the road and went away with the car, a wine colour Hyundai Elantra.

“At the Beach Road, Lekki, where we parked the car, we swapped the number plate of the car with a Volkswagen Passat car (FKJ 708 CA) close by. We left it for two days hoping to contact buyers for the car.”

The suspect said their leader, identified as Emma, had noticed that the Uber driver was operating offline before he decided they hijack the car from him.

“The following day when one of us visited where we hijacked the car. He noticed the guy’s remains was already in police body bag,” said Mr Robert.

“We contacted Archibong to assist us in disposing off the car. The buyers we invited indicated that they can only buy the car parts. It was in the process of dismantling the car that RRS patrol vehicle spotted us and arrested two of us. Emma, Dolapo and David are on the run.”

The Lagos State police commissioner, Mr Muazu, said investigations were continuing on the case.

He noted that the command would leave no stone unturned towards ensuring that the fleeing suspects are made to face justice.