Adelani Adepegba, Abuja Two robbery suspects, Babangida Umar, 30; and Salisu Ahmed, 40; say they drugged a taxi-cab driver to enable them to steal his vehicle in Kubwa, Abuja. The two men, who are in the custody of the Federal Capital Territory Special Anti-Robbery Squad, said the taxi driver brought them from Funtua, Katsina State,
Adelani Adepegba, Abuja
Two robbery suspects, Babangida Umar, 30; and Salisu Ahmed, 40; say they drugged a taxi-cab driver to enable them to steal his vehicle in Kubwa, Abuja.
The two men, who are in the custody of the Federal Capital Territory Special Anti-Robbery Squad, said the taxi driver brought them from Funtua, Katsina State, to Abuja, where they dispossessed him of his car.
Umar, who claimed to hold a Diploma in Law from a university in Kaduna State, told PUNCH Metro on Wednesday that he connived with Ahmed to steal the car because he could not get a job.
He explained that he and Ahmed met in Funtua where they decided to steal a car to raise money because they were broke.
The suspect said they boarded the taxi along with other passengers, adding that the other occupants alighted on the way.
Umar said, “On getting to Kubwa, Abuja, we told the taxi driver that we would like to eat at a restaurant and invited him to join us. While we were eating, he left his food to go and unrinate and Ahmed dropped a sleeping pill in his food.
“After eating, we told him that we wanted to go to a mosque for prayers and he took us there and was feeling drowsy. So, Ahmed asked him to rest at the mosque, saying he needed his car to run an errand. The driver gave him the car key and we fled with the vehicle, but we were later arrested.”
The suspect explained that the cab was sold for N350,000 which he shared with his accomplice.
He admitted to stealing three other cars earlier before he was caught.
Ahmed corroborated Umar’s account, saying they deceived the taxi driver after drugging him.
“I told him to rest at the mosque, while Umar said he wanted to buy sachet water. We, however, stole the car. But I regret my involvement,” he added.
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