“How Nigerian Army Officers Allegedly Killed Driver Delivering New 2022 Toyota Corolla, Steals the Car,” PIDOMNIGERIA Reveals

In a recent post shared on Twitter, an anonymous account known for carrying out investigative journalism across Nigeria shares a story on how some Nigerian Army officers killed a driver delivering a new 2022 Toyota Corolla, dumped his body and stole the car.

The Twitter account @PIDOMNIGERIA gives a detailed report of the tragic incident. Here’s the story according to the anonymous account: 

“YUSUF LAWALI is an Hausa man from Zamfara state. He is a driver, who is into the delivery of Newly purchased vehicles, from Lagos to any state around Nigeria that the vehicle dealers sends him. On Friday the 18th of August 2023, he was on his way to deliver a newly purchased 2022 model Toyota Corolla vehicle to a buyer in Abuja from Lagos. He left the showroom in Lekki around 8pm, and was to run a night journey. So by Daybreak he will be in Abuja. When he got to Ojodu berger, heading out of Lagos, he was stopped at a military checkpoint.

“But unknown to the soldiers, he was driving on a convoy of two vehicles. Him alongside his friend and brother Ibrahim. He was driving the 2022 model Toyota Corolla vehicle, while Ibrahim was driving a brand new Hilux. They were on their way to deliver them in Abuja. When the Army stopped Yusuf Lawali and cleared him, his friend Ibrahim saw them, because he was driving behind Lawali. A truck carrying petroleum product was the next vehicle heading for the checkpoint, so Ibrahim decided to drive right behind the truck. When the Army asked the truck to pass without stopping it, Ibrahim drove with speed & followed the truck. They tried stopping him, but he didn’t stop. So he ran very far to wait for his friend Yusuf Lawali to come meet him up. Both of them have been deliverying cars in different states, for a long time.

“He waited and waited, but no sign of Yusuf Lawali coming. So he started calling him. But no response. After some time Yusuf Lawali called Ibrahim, using pattern to inform him about his location. Despite Yusuf Lawali having money on him, he called Ibrahim to borrow him three thousand naira, and also inform him codedly that he is at iyana ipaja area. He did that so the soldiers will think he was asking for money to settle them. The reason he followed them is because they are Nigerian @HQNigerianArmy officers on a military checkpoint.

“They insisted on taking the car to their barracks, because it was 2022 model, and new brand. But unknown to the man, they were soldiers who are using guns bought with tax payers monies to protect citizens, to rob and kill lone drivers, plying the roads just to steal their cars. Yusuf Lawali also called his wife, to inform her that some soldiers stopped him, and they are at Iyana ipaja. She should pray for him. Just as if he knew they were going to kill him. That was the last that was heard from him. His phone went off, and he was unreachable.”

The account goes further to detail how the driver’s friend realized that his friend had been killed stating:

“Ibrahim raised alarm. He called the car dealers, and also reported the matter to the police immediately. The current Lagos state commissioner of police @PoliceNG, Idowu Owohunwa did a fantastic job. He used eye witness account, to immediately identity 3 of the soldiers involved. They took Yusuf Lawali to Iyana ipaja, around tollgate area, killed him, and dumped his body in the bush.”