Nigeria - For Flart Kalu, a businessman in Abuja, his joy knows no bound after the recovery of his brand new Honda Accord car from a driver, Darlington Lopez, who disappeared with it on January 9. He said while searching for a driver, he contacted an employment agency located in Wuse Zone 5, Abuja and 24-year-old Darlington was sent to him. "I immediately employed him on the understanding that all the necessary checks had been conducted on his person and gave him my car to test drive but he disappeared with the car," Flart said.

He said the case was reported to the police at Utako where he further told them that the driver calls him almost everyday to threaten that he will kidnap and kill his wife as well as himself.

Flart said he lost hope when the police applied to Airtel Communications to trace the suspect's call on his handset, adding that he never believed that the police will recover his car, let alone apprehend his tormentor, until the police called him yesterday to come and identify the suspect.

A police source at the station said immediately the victim (Flart) reported the incident to them, they tried to reach the suspect but could not.

"A police detective later called the suspect with another line and pretended that they both met at the employment agency, which excited the suspect.

"He was told that someone willing to pay N68,000 needed a driver and the suspect agreed to the bargain with a promise to meet the caller at Total Filling Station at Berger," the source stated.

He said on the agreed date, the detectives led by an inspector, pretended to be petrol attendants and arrested the suspect immediately he answered a call at the filling station made by a policeman.

According to the source, the suspect confessed to the police that he sold the stolen car to a popular motor dealer at Kano for N550,000 but was paid N350,000.

Our reporter learnt that the detectives later proceeded to Kano and one of them poised as a senior government officer willing to buy cars from the motor dealer before he surfaced after three days and was arrested.

The police source said the stolen vehicle was recovered from the buyer, who was deceived with forged documents.

The suspect admitted to the crime and said he told the dealer that the vehicle was stolen.

"The only regret I have is that I allowed myself to be caught easily," he added.

The car dealer, Okechukwu Okereke, a father of five children, said the suspect didn't present the vehicle's document to him and he sold the car for N1.1 million after giving the buyer new vehicle particulars, customs exercise duty receipts and purchasing receipts.

Reacting to the incident, Utako Divisional Police Officer, Chief Superintendent Usman K. Umar, said the police were determined to apprehend the suspects and came out victorious by recovering the stolen car, despite the difficult task.

He advised members of the public to report criminal incidents quickly to the police so that they can act fast by arresting the criminals, adding that Flart Kalu reported the theft instantly and had results.

"We will continue to serve the public well, especially Utako residents," he added.

Ogechi Ohalee

Daily Trust/10/03/2011