Lagos, Nigeria – October 14, 2025 – In a dramatic turn of events that has gripped social media, a dispatch rider in Lagos has been arrested after vanishing with a customer’s valuable package he was hired to deliver. The three-week pursuit, which ended in a sting operation involving friends and law enforcement, highlights the growing risks of e-commerce theft in Nigeria’s bustling gig economy.
The incident unfolded when the victim, a young Nigerian entrepreneur known online as @TechGuyLagos, entrusted the rider with a high-end gadget package worth over ₦500,000 ($300 USD) for delivery to a client in Ikeja. According to a viral TikTok video shared by the victim, the rider collected the parcel from his home in Surulere on September 20 but never arrived at the destination. Instead, he went radio silent, ignoring repeated calls and messages, leaving the sender in a financial bind and vowing to track him down “by all means.”
“I was devastated – that package was for a major client, and losing it could’ve ruined my business,” the victim recounted in the video, which has amassed over 200,000 views. Undeterred, he launched a relentless investigation, scouring CCTV footage from nearby streets and cross-referencing the rider’s phone number with delivery app records. The breakthrough came when he traced the suspect’s movements to a girlfriend’s residence in Ogun State.
Posing as a potential customer, the victim contacted the girlfriend under a false pretext, building rapport over several days via WhatsApp. “I played along, arranged a fake delivery meetup, and alerted my guys and the police,” he explained. On October 10, at a rendezvous point in Ikorodu, the trap snapped shut. As the rider arrived on his motorcycle, expecting another easy score, he was surrounded by the victim’s allies and anti-theft officers from the Lagos State Police Command. The package was recovered intact from his hideout, and the suspect was hauled away in handcuffs.
Eyewitnesses described the arrest as chaotic yet triumphant, with the rider attempting to flee on foot before being tackled. Police spokesperson SP Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the bust in a statement, praising the victim’s ingenuity: “This collaborative effort underscores the power of community vigilance in combating petty crimes that erode trust in our delivery services.” The suspect, identified as 28-year-old Chukwudi Okoro, faces charges of theft and breach of trust under Section 390 of the Criminal Code Act, with a court appearance slated for next week. If convicted, he could face up to seven years in prison.
A Symptom of Wider Woes in Nigeria’s Delivery Boom
The case has ignited heated discussions online, with users decrying the surge in “package piracy” amid the explosion of platforms like Jumia, Gokada, and Max.ng. “How do we trust these riders when stories like this pop up daily?” one commenter fumed on X (formerly Twitter), while another quipped, “From dispatch to dash – Lagos na so!” Delivery firms have responded swiftly: Gokada issued a statement vowing stricter vetting and GPS tracking, while consumer advocates called for mandatory insurance on all gigs.
This isn’t an isolated tale. Just last month, CCTV footage from Ikoyi captured a delivery man pilfering SUV side mirrors, leading to another arrest. Experts attribute the trend to economic pressures, with unemployment hovering at 33% and inflation at 25%, pushing some into opportunistic crime. “Gig workers are the backbone of our digital economy, but without safeguards, it’s a recipe for distrust,” noted Dr. Aisha Bello, a logistics analyst at the Lagos Business School.
As investigations continue, the victim has turned his ordeal into advocacy, launching a TikTok series on “How to Protect Your Packages.” For riders like Okoro, the message is clear: In Nigeria’s fast-paced streets, karma – and community – rides shotgun.
This story is developing. Follow updates on Legit.ng and GistReel for more.