Tanker conducter mysteriously disappears in traffic gridlock(Photo)

A tanker conductor mysteriously disappeared while controlling traffic in Lagos.The driver of a tanker owned by an oil company, Adekunle Deyboy, has denied complicity in the missing of the vehicle conductor, 24-year-old Sunday Dirisu.

Deyboy said he neither harmed nor killed the missing youth, claiming that there was no quarrel between them prior to the incident.

According to Punch, Dirisu, who hailed from Edo State, had been missing for about two months shortly after he disembarked from the vehicle in the Ijora area of Lagos State.

It was learnt that he and Deyboy were coming from the Sagamu area of Ogun State around 10pm on June 9 to load fuel at a depot in Apapa when the vehicle broke down on the Ijora Bridge.

PUNCH Metro gathered that Dirisu and the driver eventually fixed the vehicle. While Deyboy went back into the vehicle, his conductor was said to have started controlling the traffic to pave the way for the tanker.

Our correspondent learnt that the driver only realised that his partner was missing when he reached the depot at about 2am the following day.

It was learnt that Deyboy, an employee of Gulf Treasures Oil and Gas Limited, had engaged the service of the missing youth without notifying the company.

Our correspondent was told that efforts made to locate Dirisu had yet to yield result as calls made to his two lines indicated that they were switched off.

A police source told PUNCH Metro that a signal had been sent to the network providers of the victim’s two lines to assist in unraveling his whereabouts.

“The driver was arrested and he has been quizzed on the incident. He has been released on bail and is helping us in our investigation,” the source added.

In his statement, 30-year-old Deyboy said he had no idea of where the conductor went.

He said, “I engaged Sunday (Dirisu) to work with me as a conductor. We had been working together since 2014. As we were going to load fuel that day, we experienced a traffic jam on the Ijora Bridge and the truck developed fault. Both of us came down to fix it. That was around 10pm.

“I went back into the vehicle while he cleared the traffic for me. I got to the depot at 2am, but did not see him. I did not know where he went to. I did not do him harm or kill him. There was no quarrel between us.”

Dirisu’s brother, Andrew, said he had searched for him in vain, adding that he (Dirisu) had no record of running from home.

He said, “I have been to several areas in Lagos, trying to look for him. I am really baffled because my brother is a well-mannered person. He does not keep bad companies, which would have made us thought that he intentionally absconded.”

The Managing Director of the company, Mr. Sunday Dekeri, told the police that though he was aware of Deyboy’s trip, he did not have the knowledge of Dirisu’s partnership with the driver.

“Deboy is a worker of Gulf Treasures Oil and Gas Limited and he was assigned the truck with number plate, APP 392 XT, to drive. The missing person is not an employee of the company and the company does not employ assistant drivers or conductors. But I am ready to assist in ensuring that the victim is found.”

The Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Patricia Amadin said investigation was ongoing to unearth the circumstances that led to Dirisu’s missing.