TheCable

Meshach Isinugo has denied stealing a Mercedes Benz GLB 250 from a car dealer in Abuja.

TheCable had reported how 25-year-old Isunugo vanished with the vehicle reportedly worth N55 million, after showing interest and requesting a test drive.

The police command in Delta state later recovered the vehicle at Ughelli North LGA and arrested the suspect.

Speaking with Nigerian Tribune on Tuesday, the suspect said allegations that he stole the vehicle are false.

Isunugo said he got the car dealer’s contact from an online platform where the vehicle’s picture was posted.

He said after indicating interest, the dealer asked him to come for an inspection at the Garki area of Abuja.

“I saw the car, and the intending seller put the price at N58 million. I offered to pay N30 million and he said I should test-drive it so that I would know the value of what I was pricing. He gave me the car key and sat on the passenger seat,” he said.

“When we got to a filling station, he asked me to pull over as he needed to buy fuel for the car. He told me to wait so that he would go and get some cash to buy the fuel.

“I waited for his return for three hours but he was nowhere to be found, and I was already causing a queue at the filling station. I called his line several times but it was switched off. It was already dusk so I drove to my residence at almost 8 pm. My phone had gone flat then, so I charged it when I got home and called him again. His line was switched off.

“The following day, I drove down to Delta for a business.”

Isinugo said that same day, he saw a picture of himself posted by the car dealer on the internet, calling him a thief.

“His call also came in and he told me he had informed the police and they were tracking the car. This made me to be mad at him. It was crazy. I switched off my line known to him and started using my other line,” he said.

“My uncle saw me with the car and he asked me about it. I told him how the car came by and he got mad and slapped me. He said he would not allow me to drive the car but would report it at a police station. I ran from him because he assaulted me. I was eventually arrested in Benin, Edo state. I didn’t steal the car, I only drove it from Abuja to Delta. If I were the car dealer, I would just look for a way to get the car back. That would work.”

The police were reported to have transferred the suspect to Abuja where the act was perpetrated.