The Nation Newspaper

Tag: stealing

  • Shop attendant charged with stealing two laptops

    A shop attendant, George Adeyemi, 31, was yesterday arraigned at a Badagry Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing two laptops valued at N140,000.

    Prosecuting Inspector Innocent Uko said the accused committed the offence on April 20 at a shopping complex in Ajara, Badagry.

    Uko said the accused stole the laptops from her employer’s shop.

    “On that day, his boss left the office very early; he was alone in the shop. He used the opportunity of being alone to commit crime; he took away two brand new laptops from the shop and disappeared into thin air,’’ he said.

    The accused pleaded not guilty.

    Adeyemi’s counsel Idowu Awe urged the court to grant his client bail since the offence is bailable.

    Magistrate Abiodun Etti granted him N200,000 bail.

    The case was adjourned to June 7.

  • Man jailed 3 years for stealing N.3m

    A 20-year-old man, identified as Joseph Nanchang, has been sentenced to three years imprisonment for stealing the sum of N300,000.

    Joseph was jailed by an Evboriaria Magistrate Court in Edo State after pleading guilty to the charge on stealing.

    He was said to have committed the offense on February 23, along Muritala Mohammend Way in Benin City.

    Police prosecutor, Sergeant Olatoye Oluwaseun, informed the court that the money belonged to one Victoria Owie.

    The convict was charged on a two-count, bothering on conspiracy and stealing.

    He pleaded not guilty to count one and pleaded guilty to count two.

    The offence, the police said contravened section 516 and 390 (9) of the criminal code cap. 48, vol. II laws of the defunct Bendel State of Nigeria 1976 as applicable in Edo.

    The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs C.E Oghuma, sentenced the convict to a three-year jail term.

  • Mechanic held for ‘stealing’ ex Lagos Health Commissioner’s N1m

     

     

    A 45-year-old auto mechanic was on Monday arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly obtaining N1 million under false pretence from a former Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Leke Pitan.

    The mechanic, Gbenga Daramola, whose address was not given, is facing a three-count charge bordering on fraud, obtaining, conversion ‎and stealing levelled against him by the police.

    Prosecuting Corporal Cyriacus Osuji told the court that the defendant fraudulently obtained the sum of N1million from Dr. Leke Pitan under the pretence of repairing his ‎Mercedes Benz S600 with registration number EPE 800 DU.

    He alleged that the defendant converted the said sum to his personal use.

    “The defendant also intentionally damaged the brain box of the Mercedes Benz S600 and the side mirrors valued at ‎N200,000” the prosecutor added.

    According to him, the offences are punishable under Sections 312 (2), 285 and 337(7) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    The defendant denied the charges.

    Magistrate O. Kusanu (Mrs.) granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties each in the like sum, one of whom must be a blood relation.

    The case was adjourned till ‎April 28, for mention.

     

  • Man arraigned for ‘stealing’ N1.1m

    A 39-year-old man, Elvis Kenuwa, has been arraigned at an Egor Magistrate’s Court in Edo State for allegedly stealing N1.1 million from Louis Morrison.

    The accused was also said to have unlawfully obtained N1 million from the same victim under the pretext that he would upgrade his French language school to a university.

    Elvis pleaded not guilty to the two-count preferred against him.

    The prosecutor, C.S.O. Nnamdi, said the accused committed the crime in September 2012 at Igbenosun Street, Benin, Egor Local Government.

    Nnamdi also said the offence contravened Section 419 and 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Cap 48, Vol. II, Laws of the defunct Bendel State of Nigeria 1976 as applicable in Edo.

    The magistrate, Mr W. E. Aziegbemhin, granted the accused bail for N400,000 and a surety in like sum. He adjourned the matter till April 14 for hearing.

  • Mob attacks three men for stealing 17 goats

    A three-man gang, which allegedly specialises in stealing goats and other domestic animals, escaped lynching in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, on Saturday, when a mob intercepted it.

    Seventeen big goats and  personal effects were recovered from the suspects, who were injured by the mob.

    The goats were said to have been stolen in Ilupeju-Ekiti in Oye Local Government Area. Two of them died in transit.

    The suspects were arrested at 7.30 am at Okeyinmi by the mob, including commercial motorcyclists and youths, who gathered at newspaper stands.

    Nemesis caught up with the suspects, who were coming from Oke-Ila on high speed and reportedly hit a motorcyclist and his passenger.

    Their refusal to show concern for the victims angered  bystanders who challenged them on why they were driving recklessly.

    Some sympathisers saw some of the goats inside the car, which elicited questions about their ownership.

    But the suspects were unable to provide satisfactory answers.

    The crowd at the scene continued to grow and the booth of the car was forced open. Many goats were in it.

    The mouths of the goats were smeared with salt and sealed with sellotape to prevent the animals from bleating.

    The  mob beat up the suspects. They also vandalised their car.

    Curiously, there was on the car a big sticker with the inscription ‘CLERGY’ which was believed to have been pasted to create a false impression.

    A goat-stealing syndicate is believed to be operating on the Iworoko-Are-Afao-Ire-Ilupeju axis where residents have been complaining of mysterious disappearance of domestic animals, especially goats.

    The motorcyclists claimed that members of the syndicate have an unnamed “godfather”, who bails them from police stations anytime they are caught.

    As the “jungle justice” was going on, policemen arrived on the scene and an argument ensued with the mob, which expressed fears that the suspects may be released.

    Reason later prevailed and the suspects were taken to the Okesa Police Station.

    Police spokesman Alberto Adeyemi confirmed the arrests, saying the victims were receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.

    Adeyemi said the suspects were recently charged to court for the same offence but were released on bail.

  • Man charged with stealing beds for babies

    Man charged with stealing beds for babies

    The police have accused a 22-year-old man, Umoru Haruna, of stealing 13 cribs worth N200, 000 from a warehouse in Lagos Island.

    Haruna was arraigned Monday before a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on a two-count charge of breaking and entry, and theft.

    Prosecuting Inspector Philip Osijale told the court that the defendant committed the offences at about 2:00 pm on January 4, at No. 39 Oronyimi Street, Lagos Island.

    He alleged that the defendant, of no fixed address and occupation, unlawfully broke into a warehouse belonging to one Obi Obed, and stole the cribs.

    “The defendant was caught in possession of two of the beds by a sales boy working for the complainants. The boy raised the alarm and the defendant was apprehended,” the prosecutor added.
    He said that the offences contravene Sections 285, 305 (b) and 306 (1) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

    The defendant denied both charges and Presiding Magistrate, Mr. L.A. Owolabi, granted him bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in the like sum.
    The case was adjourned till February 22.

     

     

  • Police arraign applicant for theft

    Police arraign applicant for theft

    The police on Tuesday arraigned an applicant, Jimoh Ibrahim, in an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for sneaking into a retailing shop to steal goods while the shop owner was sleeping.

    Ibrahim, 32, of no fixed address, was charged with theft contrary to Sections 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    He pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail by Magistrate T.O Shomade in the sum of N10, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

    Shomade adjourned the case till Jan.27, for mention.

    The Prosecutor, Insp. Akeem Raji, had told the court that Ibrahim committed the offences on Dec. 30 at Aina Street, Ojota, Lagos.

    Raji said that the accused unlawfully entered the shop of one Olubunmi Oyedele and stole her goods.

    He said that the accused sneaked into the shop and packed some of her clothes and shoes into a ‘Ghana must go’ sack.

    “The accused entered the complainant’s shop while she was sleeping and stole her goods.

    “A neighbour, who sighted the accused when he sneaked into the complainant’s shop, raised alarm when she saw the accused sneaking out with a sack of the stolen items.

    “The accused was arrested and the stolen items were recovered,’’ he said.

     

  • Fayose’s agents stealing our crops, farmers tell court

    Fayose’s agents stealing our crops, farmers tell court

    The controversy trailing the proposed airport project in Ekiti State has refused to go away.

    Displaced farmers are seeking court protection, following the illegal evacuation of their crops by government agents.

    The aggrieved farmers told an Ado-Ekiti Court that despite assurances by Governor Ayo Fayose at an October 12 meeting, his agents visit their farms  daily to steal their produce.

    The farmers and land owners in Igbogun, Igbemo, Iwajo, Aso, Ayegunle sued Fayose, Works commissioner, Lands and Housing commissioner and attorney general and commissioner for Justice, demanding N650 million compensation.

    In an affidavit in support of the originating summons deposed to by one of the plaintiffs, Fabiyi Osho, the farmers claimed that the government agents continued to steal their farm produce under the pretext of purported revocation of their title to their lands.

    He said at another meeting at the Government House, he was served with a copy of a document, titled: Land Use Act 1978. Land required for the service of the Government of Ekiti State, dated September 18, and purportedly signed by the 1st defendant (Fayose).

    Besides stealing their crops, the plaintiff, in the affidavit exclusively obtained by The Nation yesterday, averred that government bulldozers and graders destroyed cocoa trees, palm trees, kola trees, cassava, yam, cocoyam, plantain and banana plantations.

    Osho averred: “I personally saw the officers of the second and third defendants, who said they were acting under instructions of the first defendant, cart away food crops, such as hundreds of tubers of yam and cassava, harvested palm kernels from gelled palm trees, cocoa pods and cocoyam and loaded same into their vehicles.

    “The men of the second and third defendants, together with their hired hands, also destroyed houses, huts, storage barns and carted away goods, farm produce, personal chattels and utensils found therein.

    “The men and officers of the second and third defendants engaged the services of armed policemen, who continued to intimidate, harass and threaten us while the destruction of our property, farms and farm produce went on unabated.

    “By the act of grading and levelling our farmlands, the lands, which had been our sole source of livelihood spanning generations till date, have been gravely desecrated and vandalised without prior notice.

    “Unless restrained by an order of this court, the act of destruction of our crops and desecration of our farmlands would continue unabated with attendant and consequential huge, irreparable and colossal damage to us.”

  • Two docked for ‘stealing’ N4.2 million phones

    Two men, Isah Ali and Kashalla Hassan, have been arraigned at a Lagos State Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ikeja, for allegedly stealing two cartons of brand new phones at Computer Village in Ikeja.

    Ali, 36, Hassan, 35, and others now at large, were accused of committing the offence at about 5am, on October 10, 2015, at No. 4, Otigba Street, Ikeja.

    The court was told that the suspects conspired with each other and stole the phones, valued at N4.2million, property of one Mr. Duru Remy.

    The Prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Samson Ekikere, informed the court that the offence is contrary to and punishable under Section 285 (7) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2011.

    The accused, who were read the charges in Pidgin English, pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Y. O. Aje-Afunwa, granted the suspects N500,000 bail each and two sureties in the like sum. She adjourned the matter till November 25 for trial.

     

  • LAWMA official held for ‘stealing’ street light cable

    LAWMA official held for ‘stealing’ street light cable

    Rapid Response Squad (RRS) operatives have arrested a member of a two-man syndicate which specialised in vandalising and stealing street light power cable.

    The suspect, Ibrahim Alli, 29, who claims he works with Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), was caught by a RRS patrol team last Friday at Opebi, Ikeja, Lagos.

    His accomplice, Yunusa fled.

    Police spokesman Joe Offor, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), who confirmed the arrest, said: “The policemen who were on routine patrol in the area, sighted the two men while in the act of vandalising the street light power cable, which had left the entire community in blackout. As the policemen were approaching, the two of them took to their heels, and immediately the operatives made a hot chase while one of the suspects was apprehended, the second suspect escaped.

    “The suspect  from his statement  said he and his colleague were in the habit of vandalising and stealing the power cable which always has adverse effect on the entire community by letting the area in total blackout on several times.”

    The suspect, who claims to be a native of Yola Local Government in Adamawa State, gave reason for his action, stating:

    “I am a staff of Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) at Onipanu, but I was not contented with my meagre salary. And my friend, Yunusa, introduced this act of robbery to me. On the midnight, I and Yunusa went to Opebi in Lagos to steal street light cable. While I was arrested, Yunusa, who is my leader, escaped. It is him, Yunusa, who used to sell the cable and I don’t know the receiver. I only assist him in vandalising the cables. He only gives me N1,000 or N1,500 after the sales”, he said in his confessional statement to the Police.

    Police said the suspected has been charged to court.

    The exhibits recovered from him include vandalised electrical cable, shovel, LAWMA Identity Card bearing his name and one wristwatch.