A Lagos car dealer has accused the police of releasing a suspect linked to an alleged vehicle theft, claiming the incident left him with losses estimated at ₦40m.
The dealer, Chima Edmund, founder of Mayor and Sheiks Autos, said a man allegedly drove away a 2025 Toyota Tundra worth about ₦130m from his showroom in Victoria Garden City, Lekki, after pretending to be a prospective buyer.
According to Edmund, the incident happened on Monday when the suspect requested the vehicle’s key, claiming he wanted to inspect the engine. He said a junior staff member allowed the man to start the vehicle, but the suspect allegedly drove away without permission.
The dealer explained that the vehicle was later damaged after the suspect reportedly drove it into a canal in the Ajiran area while attempting to escape. He added that the incident also damaged a barricade at the entrance of the VGC estate.
Edmund said he paid for repairs to the barricade, medical treatment for people injured during the incident and treatment for the suspect following the crash.
He stated that the case was initially reported at the Ajah Police Division before being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Panti, Yaba.
The dealer alleged that he became concerned about recovering his expenses after learning that the suspect had been released on bail. He also claimed that investigators pressured him to withdraw the complaint after the suspect was reportedly identified as having a psychiatric condition.
However, the Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, denied that the suspect was improperly released.
Adebisi said the suspect had been certified as a psychiatric patient by recognised government hospitals and competent courts. She maintained that Edmund submitted a withdrawal letter after the information emerged, following which the suspect was handed over to his mother for rehabilitation.
Edmund appealed for assistance in recovering his losses, estimating the cost of repairing the damaged vehicle at about ₦40m. He said the incident was unprecedented in his automobile business, which he claimed began in 1996.
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