POLICE INVESTIGATOR DETAILS ARREST OF FUGITIVE WAREHOUSE MANAGER IN N1 BILLION THEFT CASE
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A police investigator, ASP Okoh Kenneth, has provided insight into how his team apprehended Fatai Adebayo, a fugitive warehouse manager accused of stealing goods worth ₦1 billion from RSMN IMPEX LIMITED.
Testifying before the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja, ASP Okoh explained that his team was tasked with investigating a petition filed by a director of RSMN IMPEX LIMITED regarding the alleged theft. The director claimed that after returning from a medical trip, he discovered that goods valued at ₦1 billion were missing from the company’s warehouse in Ikotun.
Attempts to contact Adebayo, who had been left in charge of the warehouse during the director’s absence, were unsuccessful.
Subsequently, the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of the Nigeria Police charged Adebayo, along with two other defendants—Adewale Adebayo and Sodiq Olagunju—before Justice Ismail Ijelu on charges of conspiracy and theft.
ASP Okoh testified that the investigation led to Adebayo’s arrest at a newly built hotel, Olafat, in Ilorin. He was then transported to Lagos for questioning.
During interrogation, Adebayo allegedly confessed to stealing goods worth ₦500 million, with the help of his co-defendants. He revealed that the proceeds from the theft were funneled through his First Bank account, with ₦200 million transferred to the second defendant and ₦35 million to the third.
Further investigation uncovered that Adebayo used part of the stolen funds to construct the Olafat hotel and fund his children’s education abroad.
In the course of the trial, Dr. Emmanuel Jackson, head of the Police SFU legal department, who is leading the prosecution, presented important documents including arrest and search warrants, the complainant’s petition, and statements from the defendants.
The defense counsel raised objections to the admissibility of some documents, arguing they had not been filed correctly. However, Justice Ijelu allowed them to be admitted as exhibits and instructed the prosecution to provide clearer copies for the defense’s review.
The case has been adjourned to April 15 for continued proceedings.
According to the prosecution, the defendants are accused of conspiring to steal 8,000 cartons of Lude Polish between 2019 and October 2024 while working at RSMN IMPEX LIMITED. They face charges under Sections 516A and 390(7) of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
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