Man lures Uber driver to Lagos hotel with pepper soup, steals his car

The Lagos State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a man who allegedly stole a car belonging to an e-hailing driver.

Spokesperson of the command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin said the suspect lured the cab driver with a plate of pepper soup and stole his vehicle.

In a statement July 13, the police PRO said the Akinpelu Police Division received a report on July 5, at about 8.00 p.m. from an Uber driver, (name withheld).

Hundeyin said that the driver reported that he picked a passenger, who simply identified himself as Isaiah, from the NNPC Filling Station, Maryland, in his Toyota Corolla car to a certain hotel at Oshodi area.

While at the hotel, the suspect bought food for the driver, a plate of pepper soup and one energy drink, and while he was enjoying it, the passenger collected his key to clean his ear and left.

Hundeyin said; “In the process, when the suspect was looking for a cotton bud to clean his ear, the driver gave him his car key to use.

The driver further said that the suspect went downstairs after collecting the car key and went away with his car from where it was parked.

However, a team of police officers on a stop and search operation at Boladale Street, intercepted him. When he could not give a satisfactory account of the ownership of the car, he was arrested”.

The police spokesperson said that while the police officers were about taking the suspect to the station, the owner came to the scene and saw the car. He said the suspected car thief had been detained for further investigation.