Real estate developer Olakanmi Ogundele in Lagos has raised concerns after his newly employed driver, Olufemi Jogbodo, allegedly disappeared with his Gelly saloon car, registered AGL 586 GW, just four days into the job.
Olakanmi Ogundele revealed on Sunday that the driver, who initially gave his name as Adeleye, was assigned to him by his company’s manager on October 18, after his previous driver fell ill unexpectedly.
Ogundele said the driver, Olufemi Jogbodo, accompanied him on a business trip to Ijebu Ode in Ogun State on the day he was hired and returned with him to Lagos on October 20.
The suspect reportedly returned to work the next day, driving Ogundele to his office in Ikoyi. Ogundele revealed that the incident took place while he was attending a meeting.
Ogundele recounted that the incident occurred while he was in a meeting. “He told the security personnel that I had sent him on an errand. Since the meeting was ongoing, the officer couldn’t come in to verify,” he explained. “That was how he drove off with the car and never returned.”
The matter was promptly reported to the tactical team of the Ikoyi Police Division, who immediately began efforts to trace the suspect. However, Ogundele expressed frustration over the slow pace of the investigation, noting that it had yielded little progress so far.
Documents obtained by our correspondent indicate that the suspect, 44, claimed to live on Dele Ogunbowale Street, Ikate, Lagos.
Investigations further revealed that he manages 11 different bank accounts, prompting heightened concerns about his activities. Ogundele also stated that some of Jogbodo’s relatives were traced and taken into custody during the investigation.
Ogundele explained that investigators had tracked down and briefly detained the suspect’s wife’s sister and one of his cousins, but both were released after exceeding the legally permitted detention period.
He added that operatives were also able to trace Jogbodo’s 75-year-old mother to Agbado Ijaiye, but she could not be taken into custody because of her advanced age.
Ogundele revealed that the manager confessed to skipping proper background checks because he was rushing to meet a travel deadline. According to him, the driver had given a false name and address during employment. “He introduced himself as Adeleye, but his real name is Olufemi,” he said.
Ogundele added that arrangements were underway to place a bounty on the suspect, hoping it would speed up his arrest and lead to the recovery of the stolen vehicle.