The Nation Newspaper

Tag: stealing

  • Three businessmen docked for alleged stealing of N1.3m fuel

    Three businessmen yesterday, appeared before Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court, Lagos, for alleged stealing of 15,000 litres of petroleum products worth N1.3 million.

    The accused persons Jamiu Ajani, 25, Damilola Lawrence, 30, Ramon Adedejo,42, of no fixed addresses, were arraigned on a four-count charge of conspiracy, unlawful tampering with petroleum pipeline and stealing.

    The prosecuting police officer Mathew Omosun said the accused committed the offences on July 2, around 1pm, at Magidun, Ikorodu, Lagos.

    Omosun said the accused persons unlawfully tampered with petroleum pipeline and stole 15,000 litres of PMS, valued at N1.5 million, property of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    He said that the accused persons dealt in the product without any lawful authority or appropriate license.

    The prosecutor said that the offences contravened Sections 390 and 516 of the Criminal Code Act C38, Laws of the Federation 2004 as amended.

    “The Sections contravened also includes 7 (a) and (b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17, Laws of the Federation 2004 as amended,’’ he said.

    The accused pleaded not guilty.

    Omosun urged the court to remand the accused in prison custody pending the determination of the case.

    The accused counsel, Mr O. O. Onun, urged the court to admit the accused to bail on liberal terms.

    Justice Yunusa remanded them in Ikoyi prison and adjourned the case till September 3, for ruling on their bail applications.

  • Stealing is now corruption

    SIR: The immediate past prodigal administration would remain a reference point as the most corrupt and insensitive government in our nation’s democracy. To the immediate past president, stealing is not corruption. He identified with the corrupt and presided over a government that embezzled public funds with reckless abandon.

    After much criticism of his government, the immediate past president, in an attempt to demystify corruption made the worst political gaffe. “What is being referred to as corruption is common stealing,” he said.

    And when the opportunity came for Nigerians to decide who would rule them, the majority defied all odds to ensure that Muhammadu Buhari, a renowned and reputed anti-corruption crusader, was elected as president.

    With the emergence of Buhari as president, stealing is now corruption and all those that partook in one financial misappropriation or the other in the past have all been thrown into yesterday’s dustbin pending when the long arm of the law would descend on them.

    Before President Buhari’s inauguration, the fear of probe made many jittery, but Mr. President, in his wisdom, told the world he would not probe his predecessor’s government. How would someone elected to cleanse the Augean stables not probe those that contributed to the filth and corruption?

    Some have been manufacturing excuses why the immediate past administration should not be the first to be probed. The last time I checked – you don’t jump 3 to count 4.

     

    • Joe Onwukeme

    unjoeratedjoe@gmail.com

  • Employee nabbed for ‘stealing’

    An employee of Pathway Financial and Consultancy Services Limited Joesph Esemogie has been arraigned before an Isolo Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, for allegedly stealing N1,175,000 belonging to the company.

    Esemogie is facing a one count charge of stealing.

    Prosecuting Sergeant Oje Uagbale told the court that Esemogie committed the offence in March at Remilekun Street, Surulere, Lagos.

    Uagbale said the accused was employed to collect funds and loans from customers, but decided to convert the money to his own personal use.

    The accused pleaded not guilty.

    Magistrate Joy Ugbomoiko granted the accused N20, 000 bail with two sureties in the like sum.

    She adjourned the case till September 14.

  • Man in court for alleged stealing

    20-year-old man, Friday Thomas, has been arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate’s court in Isolo for alleged stealing.

    Thomas was accused of stealing goods worth N555,920 from one Boniface Okolie at Nwachukwu Street, Okota, Lagos.

    The prosecuting police officer, Abbass Abayomi said the accused is facing a one count charge of stealing.

    He said the offence is punishable under Sections 285 of Criminal Laws of Lagos State.

    The accused pleaded not guilty.

    Magistrate Adeola Adebayo granted the accused N100, 000 bail with two sureties in the like sum.

    She adjourned the case till September 11.

  • Passenger caught stealing inside plane

    Passenger caught stealing inside plane

    A passenger, Mr Ovuironye Mathew Dennis, was yesterday caught stealing about N263,000 from the luggage of a fellow passenger, Novothy Anton on board  an Abuja-bound Aero Contractors flight.

    Ovuironye, 31, was spotted by a female attendant when he removed the Austrian’s bag from the luggage cabin under the pretence of changing his seat.

    After removing the bag, he returned to his own seat 23c and removed N150,000 and 500 euro (about 113,000) from it.

    The Nation reporter, who was onboard the flight, reports that a wrap of marijuana was also found on Ovuironye.

    His temporary driver’s licence states that he hails from Delta State and gave his height as 1.65m.

    Before he could return the bag to the luggage cabin, the attendant asked him to remain seated.

    “While trying to return the bag, I asked him to sit down. But he became uncomfortable before the plane landed and the white man raised the alarm that he couldn’t find his bag,” the attendant said.

    She asked the Austrian to see his bag with Ovuironye, who claimed that he thought it was his.

    But when Novotny discovered that cash was missing, other passengers descended on Ovuironye. Many also took his photograph with their phones.

    The cash was found on him with a wrap of marijuana when he was searched.

    In an interview with The Nation in the presence of other passengers, Ovuironye said he stole the money to take care of his mother’s health. He said he came to meet his elder brother who is a business man in Abuja.

    Ovuironye said he is a Business Administration student at the University of Port Harcourt.

    He was handed over to security operatives at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, when the plane landed.

     

  • Five paraded for ‘stealing’ N10m equipment

    Five paraded for ‘stealing’ N10m equipment

    Five suspects were paraded yesterday by the police in Oyo State for allegedly burgling the mast centre of a telecommunication firm.

    They were intercepted by a team of policemen from Akanran, Ibadan, after they allegedly burgled the centre at Dagbolu, an Ogun State boundary community, at the weekend.

    Parading them at the State Headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan yesterday, the Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Katsina, said the suspects were rounded up after a tip-off.

    According to him, the suspects invaded the mast centre at 3:15 am, overpowered the guard and carted away two Mikano electric power generators and some equipment worth N10 million.

    Katsina said: “They macheted the guard. Then they tied him down. But they made the mistake of choosing Oyo State as their escape route.”

    Sina Olafisoye, Taofeek Olanrewaju, Kazeem Tijani, Idowu Sanusi and Sunday Atanda denied the allegation.

    Tijani accused the guard, Atanda, of colluding with Dauda, who is at large, to deceive them into following him to the site to buy raw materials.

    But Atanda denied the claim, saying they were all thieves.

    He said the suspects ambushed him because he could not get help.

     

  • Three charged with stealing N3.9m law books

    Three men, who allegedly broke into a building and stole law books valued at N3.9 million, were yesterday brought before a Yaba Chief Magistrate’s Court in Lagos.

    Joseph Ogeche (22); Charles Edet (29) and Chinedu Nwafor (21) were charged with conspiracy, burglary and stealing.

    According to the prosecuting police Inspector Peter Nwaugwu, the accused committed the offences between January 12 and March 14 at 3A, Mokoya Street in Obanikoro, Lagos.

    He said the accused broke into the house of the complainant, Mr Olakunle Ojo, damaged and stole copies of Nigeria Weekly Law Reports from October 1985 to December 2006 valued at N2.9 million.

    Nwaugwu alleged that the accused also stole Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 series valued at N1million.

    The offences contravene Sections 285 (7), 307 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.

    Section 307 prescribes a seven-year jail term for burglary; Section 285 (7) provides seven years imprisonment for stealing; Section 409 stipulates two years for conspiracy.

    The accused pleaded not guilty.

    Chief Magistrate P.A. Ojo granted the accused N500, 000 bail with two sureties each in the like sum and adjourned the case to June 10.

     

  • Pastor held for ‘stealing’

    Pastor held for ‘stealing’

    A pastor is in police net for allegedly stealing from churches in Lagos.

    Pastor Tope Kolawole (45) was said to have broken into churches, carting away music instruments, wall clocks, offering and tithe.

    One Alausa, who allegedly buys the stolen goods from him, is at large.

    Lagos State Command’s spokesman Kenneth Nwosu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said the pastor was arrested when he attempted to rob a church at Iyana Ipaja in Lagos on March 31 around 3:30am.

    He allegedly packed the stolen one amplifier, two music mixers, one keyboard, one stabiliser, two DVD players and one Samsung plasma 32 inches television together and went to look for a taxi to convey them.

    A Good Samaritan was said to have alerted the Police Commissioner, Kayode Aderanti, on noticing what was happening.

    Operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad led by their leader, Abba Kyari, a superintendent of Police (SP), was said to have arrested the pastor.

    The pastor allegedly confessed that he once spent one month in Kirikiri prison for breaking into churches.

    Kolawole said: “I specialise in stealing from churches. I steal music instruments. I have a receiver and buyer known as Alausa. Without him, I would not have gone to churches to steal. When he heard that I have been arrested, he went into hiding. I steal in the churches I worship to avoid suspicion. I have been succeeding except this one.

    “I was remanded in Kirikiri prison by Task Force from Alausa for hawking on the highway. I am a qualified pastor because I went to theological school and was ordained pastor in 2008 at Ile-Ife by Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) but I worship at Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) at any of their parishes. It is the devil that caused my frustration that made me to steal in the house of God.

    “My wife Bunmi is a nurse with children. I live in Sango and go to Lagos to operate because Ogun is good for hiding after operation. It was what the Task Force did to me that made me to become a thief because they made me lose everything I had got in 10 years.

    “I used to gather items at about 10:30pm and by 5am, I go to nearby road to look for taxi to take me to Oshodi. Where the taxi driver is in doubt, I call Alausa who claims to be the General Overseer of a particular church I once stole from. He is the one that pays the taxi driver once I deliver the goods.”

    Kolawole claimed to have repented, saying: “I am now a born again; if I am released, I will open a church and appoint those suspects elders of my church. We will not rob again but work for God.”

  • Ex-convict charged for stealing motorcycle

    Ex-convict charged for stealing motorcycle

    An 18-year-old labourer, Tunde Agoro, has been arraigned before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate’s Court in Lagos for allegedly stealing a motorcycle.

    Agoro, a native of Ogbomoso in Oyo State, an ex-convict, was jailed in 2010 for his role in Apapa road crisis.

    It was learnt that he completed his five-year jail term last Monday.

    Agoro and one other person, who is at large were said to have stolen a motorcycle worth N80, 000, property of Mr Thomas Omisore, at Yaba Railway Quarters in Lagos two days after he left prison.

    It was reported that some people in the community caught and beat him up before handing him to the police, which arraigned him on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

    The charge sheet reads: “That you Tunde Agoro and one other at large on April 1 around 3am at Yaba Railway Quarters, Lagos in the Lagos magisterial district did steal one red Bajaj Motorcycle with registered number as OJ373FKJ worth N80, 000 property of one Mr Thomas Omisore and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 289 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.”

    He pleaded not guilty.

    Prosecuting police Inspector Etim Nkankuk told the court that the defendant committed an offence punishable under Sections 409 and 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.

    Magistrate O.I Adelaja granted him N10, 000 bail with a surety in the like sum.

    She adjourned the matter till May 9.

  • Student docked for allegedly stealing N7,500

    A 20-year-old student, Isiaku David, was on Monday brought before a Grade 1 Area Court in Aso Pada, Nasarawa State, for allegedly stealing a wallet.

    The accused, who resides at Tudun Wada, Mararaba, is standing trial over a one count charge of theft.

    According to the prosecutor, Cpl. Friday Adaji, the matter was reported at the A Divisional Police Station, by one Vinige John of Behind Orange Market, Mararaba.

    Adaji told the court that John carried the accused on his motorcycle from Tudun Wada Baushe to Tudun Wada.

    “While on transit, David stole the complainant’s wallet, containing N7, 500. 00 and his driver’s license from his side jacket pocket.” Adaji alleged.

    He said the offence contravened Section 287 of the Criminal Penal Code.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that if found guilty the accused may be sentenced to three years imprisonment.

    The accused pleaded not guilty and the judge, Mr. Albert Maga, granted him bail in the sum of N100, 000, with one surety in like sum.

    He adjourned further hearing till January 12, 2014.