Lagos Car Dealer Accuses Police of Releasing Suspect in ₦130m Toyota Tundra Theft Case

A Lagos-based car dealer, Chima Edmund, has accused the Lagos State Police Command of releasing a man suspected of driving away with a 2025 Toyota Tundra worth about ₦130 million from his showroom and crashing it into a canal in Ajiran, leaving him with an estimated ₦40 million repair bill.

Edmund, founder of Mayor and Sheiks Autos, told PUNCH Metro that the incident occurred on Monday, October 12, when the suspect allegedly visited his showroom in Victoria Garden City (VGC), Lekki, pretending to be a prospective buyer.

According to the dealer, the man requested to inspect the luxury pickup truck and collected its key from a junior staff member.

“He dropped his bag inside it, and the staff watched him start the engine, thinking he only wanted to check it. But the man engaged the gear and drove off,” Edmund said.

He alleged that the suspect drove through parts of Ajah before crashing the vehicle into a canal in Ajiran.

The dealer said he subsequently paid for repairs to the damaged pickup, repairs to a barricade, medical treatment for injured persons and treatment for the suspect.

Edmund estimated the cost of repairing the vehicle at ₦40 million, expressing concern over the police handling of the case.

He alleged that he was pressured to withdraw his complaint after investigators discovered that the suspect had a psychiatric condition.

“I am already suspecting foul play in the police dealings because I was hurried to close the case when the man was confirmed to be a psychiatric patient. Just yesterday evening, he had been released on bail,” he said.

However, the Lagos State Police Command denied that the suspect was improperly released, offering a different account of how the case was concluded.

The police spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, said the suspect’s psychiatric condition had been certified by recognised government hospitals and competent courts.

According to her, the complainant was aware of the medical findings during the investigation and subsequently submitted a letter withdrawing the complaint.

“All these were well known by the complainant in the course of our investigation. This prompted him to submit a withdrawal letter, whereupon the suspect was handed over to his mother for rehabilitation,” Adebisi said.

The dealer’s allegations and the police explanation have raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the withdrawal of the complaint and the suspect’s handover to his mother.

While Edmund maintains that he suffered substantial financial losses following the incident, the police insist that the action taken followed the complainant’s withdrawal letter and the suspect’s documented medical condition.

The Press Nigeria could not independently establish from the accounts provided whether the withdrawal of the complaint resolved any potential criminal liability arising from the incident.