A Lagos car dealer, Chima Edmund, has accused the Lagos State Police Command of releasing a man suspected of attempting to steal a Toyota Tundra pickup valued at approximately ₦130 million, leaving him with an estimated ₦40 million repair bill. Police authorities have rejected allegations of improper conduct, maintaining that the suspect was released to his mother after information about his psychiatric condition emerged during their investigation.
The controversy followed an incident on Monday, October 12, 2026, at Mayor and Sheiks Autos, a dealership in the Victoria Garden City area of Lekki, Lagos State. Edmund, the company's founder, said a man posing as a prospective buyer drove away with an unsold 2025 Toyota Tundra before crashing it into a canal in Ajiran. He detailed his allegations during an interview with PUNCH Metro on Thursday, October 15.
According to Edmund, the man arrived at the showroom at approximately 4 p.m., carrying a bag and expressing interest in inspecting the pickup.
A junior employee attended to the visitor, who requested the vehicle's key, saying he wanted to examine its engine.
The dealer alleged that the man placed his bag inside the pickup, started the engine and unexpectedly engaged the gear while the employee watched.
Edmund said the vehicle's doors locked automatically as the driver moved away, preventing his employee from intervening immediately.
The suspect allegedly drove out through an access route connecting the showroom to the main road, using a supporting slab positioned across a difference in elevation.
The employee reportedly pursued the pickup but encountered difficulties convincing people nearby that the driver was not its legitimate owner.
Edmund said the man travelled towards VGC Bridge before entering a residential estate in Ajah, where he allegedly damaged a barricade.
He reportedly continued through areas around Chevron and Ebeano before reaching Ajiran, where his attempted escape ended.
According to the dealer, the driver reached the end of a road, encountered a canal and drove into it while attempting to continue.
Residents reportedly pulled the man from the damaged vehicle following the crash.
Footage associated with the incident subsequently circulated online, attracting public attention to the attempted removal of the pickup and the damage sustained.
Edmund said the crash caused extensive damage to the Toyota Tundra, with preliminary repair estimates reaching approximately ₦40 million.
That amount represents the dealer's assessment rather than a figure independently established through a published engineering report or insurance valuation.
He also claimed to have incurred additional expenses after the incident, including repairs to a damaged barricade and medical treatment for injured individuals.
The dealer said he paid for the suspect's treatment following the crash, alongside feeding and other related costs.
According to Edmund, the suspect's injuries meant he was not initially kept inside a police cell.
The matter was first reported at the Ajah Police Division before being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department at Panti, Yaba.
Edmund said two women who identified themselves as the suspect's mother and sister subsequently visited during the investigation.
He claimed the women said they came from Agbor in Delta State.
The businessman expressed dissatisfaction after learning that the suspect had been released, saying the development left him uncertain about recovering his losses.
He alleged that investigators encouraged him to withdraw the complaint after information emerged concerning the suspect's psychiatric condition.
Edmund questioned the handling of the case, maintaining that the financial consequences of the incident remained unresolved despite the suspect's release.
He also raised suspicions about the circumstances surrounding the police decision, although he provided no independently verified evidence establishing misconduct by investigators.
The Lagos State Police Command rejected the suggestion that the suspect had been improperly released.
Its spokesperson, Superintendent of Police Abimbola Adebisi, said the man had been certified as a psychiatric patient by recognised government hospitals and competent courts.
Adebisi maintained that the dealer became aware of the relevant information during the investigation and subsequently submitted a letter withdrawing his complaint.
According to the spokesperson, the suspect was then handed over to his mother for rehabilitation.
The police account differs from Edmund's description of the circumstances in which the complaint was withdrawn.
PUNCH Metro reported that it requested documents supporting the claimed psychiatric certification and withdrawal letter but did not receive them.
Consequently, the newspaper said it could not independently verify those aspects of the police explanation.
The conflicting accounts leave important questions about the investigation and the circumstances surrounding the suspect's release unanswered.
A reported psychiatric condition does not, by itself, establish whether a person committed an alleged offence or determine every question of criminal responsibility.
Such matters depend on the relevant evidence, applicable legal procedures and, where necessary, assessments by qualified medical professionals and courts.
Likewise, the release of a suspect does not automatically establish that police officers acted improperly or that the underlying allegations were false.
No criminal conviction has been reported in connection with the incident, and the man's alleged intention to steal the vehicle remains unproven in court.
Edmund, who said he entered the automobile business in 1996, described the experience as unprecedented during his nearly three decades of trading.
He explained that he had previously operated in Berger and FESTAC before relocating his dealership to the VGC area.
The businessman rejected suggestions that his employee should have identified the visitor as suspicious based on appearance.
He argued that customers' clothing and presentation were unreliable indicators of their financial capacity, noting that some casually dressed buyers had purchased expensive vehicles.
Edmund also defended the absence of a tracking device in the Toyota Tundra.
He said the pickup was new and unsold, explaining that installing a tracker could involve interfering with its wiring and create concerns among prospective buyers.
He maintained that a legitimate test drive should involve dealership personnel accompanying the prospective purchaser.
The incident has drawn attention to the challenges automobile dealers face when balancing customer access to vehicles with measures intended to prevent theft and damage.
It has also raised questions about how financial losses may be addressed when a criminal complaint does not result in prosecution.
For Edmund, the immediate concern remains the substantial repair costs and additional expenses he says followed the crash.
For police authorities, the disputed issue concerns whether the suspect's release followed appropriate procedures and whether the reported withdrawal was voluntary.
Further documentation could help clarify those questions, including the alleged withdrawal letter and the medical or judicial records cited by the command.
As of October 16, the confirmed public positions remain sharply different: Edmund alleges that he was pressured to withdraw his complaint, while police deny wrongdoing and maintain that the suspect was released for rehabilitation.
The circumstances of the release and the recovery of the dealer's reported financial losses remain unresolved.
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