A car dealer identified as Mohammed Manga was left shocked after a potential customer, Henry, made off with a Mercedes Benz GLB 250 worth over N55 million during a test drive in the Abuja area.
A friend of Manga, who is also in the car-selling business, had taken the vehicle to Henry, a potential buyer.
After negotiations, Henry asked for a test drive and was joined by Manga’s friend.
The situation took an unusual turn when Manga’s friend stepped out of the vehicle to withdraw money to buy fuel.
Henry, who was in the driver’s seat, seized the opportunity to speed off with the car to an unknown location.
Narrating the event, Manga said, “A friend of mine called me to tell me that he wants to take my Mercedes Benz GLB 250 to a customer. He took the car to his office and the customer came there. He said the customer introduced himself as Henry from Gwarinpa and that he saw the car on an online marketplace.
“He saw the car and said he liked it; they negotiated N55m for the car and he said OK and demanded test driving the car. He drove the car with my friend sitting on the passenger side of the vehicle and they drove out to the filling station opposite the automatic car wash in Garki to buy petrol before the test drive.
“But immediately my friend stepped out of the car at the filling station to withdraw money from the PoS operator to buy fuel, the guy zoomed off with the vehicle. You know how it is, there’s no traffic, no hold-up in Abuja and that’s how he absconded with the car.”
Manga reported the incident to the Anti-Car Theft Unit, providing details of the stolen car: a grey Mercedes Benz GLB 250 with a mileage of 19,000.
Josephine Ameh, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed the incident and stated that the police were on the trail of the suspect.
“The police are tracking the suspect (Henry),” she said.
