Operatives of the Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested a dispatch rider, Matthew Owochotie Adoche, for allegedly absconding with medical equipment valued at ₦34,400,000.00. The suspect was tracked down and arrested in Benue State after weeks of evading arrest, while most of the stolen items have been successfully recovered.
According to a press statement issued by the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Ayuba T. Umma, the incident began on April 15, 2025, when a medical doctor, Dr. Ajefolakemi John, based in Ile-Ife, Osun State, engaged the services of the suspect to deliver sensitive medical equipment from Ikotun and Ikeja in Lagos to Idumota, for onward delivery to a client in Zamfara State.
However, the dispatch rider failed to complete the delivery, disappeared with the equipment, and became unreachable, with all efforts to contact him proving futile. Following the report, the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2 directed the Zonal Anti-Crime Unit to carry out a discreet investigation into the matter.
The investigation led the police team to Adoka Community in Benue State, where the suspect was eventually arrested at a hideout in Ugbokpo. During interrogation, Adoche admitted to selling one of the items, a Mindray DP 10 Laptop Ultrasound machine, valued at ₦3.4 million, for ₦1 million to one Chukwudi Eyinaya in Mushin, Lagos. He further revealed that the remaining medical equipment had been stored with his sister in Ihiala, Anambra State, before he fled to Benue.
The police listed the recovered medical equipment as follows:
1. Mindray SV 300 Laptop Ventilator
2. Mindray 3-part Hematology Analyzer
3. Mindray Patient Monitor (2 units)
4. Patient Monitor Trolley (2 units)
5. Zoncare 12-lead ECG machine
6. Mindray DP 10 Laptop Ultrasound (recovered from buyer)
CSP Ayuba stated that investigation is still ongoing and the suspect will be charged to court upon its conclusion.
The arrest underscores the Nigeria Police Force’s renewed commitment to cracking down on crime and ensuring justice for victims, particularly in cases involving the theft of critical healthcare resources.