​A Lagos-based car dealer, Chima Edmund, has accused the Lagos State Police Command of releasing a suspect who allegedly attempted to steal a 2025 Toyota Tundra pickup valued at approximately N130 million from his showroom in the Victoria Garden City (VGC) area of Lekki, Lagos State.
​According to Edmund, the incident occurred on Monday at approximately 4:00 PM when the suspect walked into his VGC outlet posing as a potential customer carrying a bag. The suspect approached a junior staff member and requested the keys to the unsold 2025 Toyota Tundra, claiming he wanted to inspect the vehicle’s engine.
​Once handed the key, the suspect started the ignition, engaged the gear, and sped off from the premises. During the getaway attempt, the suspect reportedly drove through a residential estate in Ajah, destroyed an entrance barricade, and continued past Chevron and Ebeano toward Ajiran.
The escape came to an abrupt end in Ajiran when the suspect reached a dead end and drove the vehicle into a drainage canal, where local residents intervened and pulled him out.
​Edmund disclosed that the vehicle sustained extensive damage from the crash and canal submersion. Estimating total repair and associated costs at roughly N40 million, the car dealer added that he also covered medical expenses for individuals injured during the suspect’s escape and funded the suspect’s initial medical treatment.
​”Just yesterday evening, he had been released on bail,” Edmund said. “For somebody who caused me such heavy damage, how am I going to bear these losses alone, knowing that the culprit has been released? Somebody attempted to steal a car from my outlet. It is sad.”
​Addressing the allegations, Lagos State Police Command Spokesperson SP Abimbola Adebisi denied any improper release or wrongdoing by law enforcement officers.
​The police spokesperson clarified that government medical institutions certified the suspect as having a psychiatric condition, and court proceedings subsequently directed that the individual be released into the care of his mother for psychiatric care and rehabilitation.
Police authorities also indicated that the complainant had initially agreed to withdraw the case following the mental health diagnosis.
​However, Edmund continues to express frustration over the outcome, noting that the release leaves him solely responsible for the massive financial losses incurred during the incident.
