A start-up software development company office in Ikeja area, has been relieved of most of its valuables after a suspected cat burglar broke in and stole all the laptops.
The suspect broke into NexTekk Technology System around 6pm on Friday, January 26, 2018, just after the company’s manager closed the office and locked the door
The case was said to have been reported at the Ikeja Police Division.
The police are yet to catch anybody and have no inkling on where to find the stolen laptops, despite CCTV footage which revealed the moment the incident happened.
The manager of the company, Dayo Adeleye, said his attention was drawn to the break in by a security guard watching over a complex where the company operated.
He said he could not explain how the suspect broke the four locks of the office, adding that a hammer and other tools used by the suspects were found on the premises.
He said, “We occupy the first floor of a four-storeyed building on Olowu Street, Ikeja. There are other companies using the complex. We got an office space there in October 2017.
“We close for the day at 5.30pm and as usual, I had locked up the office that day. However, while leaving, I sighted a man on native attire entering the complex. His look was suspicious. But since the complex is being used by other companies, I could not tell his motive and what business he had to do there. For security reasons, I returned to check that the office had been properly locked.
“About 45 minutes after I left, the security man guarding the complex called me on the telephone that our office had been burgled. I was stunned. I ran back and discovered the six laptops in the office – four Dell and two HP – were gone. Aside from the fact that they cost about N2m, we had some important client jobs in them. I saw the hammer the man used to break the locks and the tools he used to open the door.”
PUNCH correspondents learnt that three artisans who were renovating another office on the second floor of the building were arrested. They were later released when no evidence of their involvement in the crime was found.
However, CCTV footage from a pharmaceutical store in the complex, revealed when the laptops were stolen.
Though the image of the suspected burglar was blurry.
“It turned out to be the same man I sighted after closing that day. From the footage, he entered the building without anything, but when he was leaving, he had a bag from our office into which he put the laptops.
“We got screen grabs of the footage which we took to some touts in the area. They denied knowing him and said he might not be from the community. The police have said there is nothing more that they can do about it,” the manager added.
SP Chike Oti, the state Police Public Relations Officer was not picking calls and it yet to respond to a text at the time of this report.
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