NAN-H-31
Stealing
Lagos, Feb. 3, 2017 (NAN) For alleged theft of 1,584 crates of Malta Guinness drinks, valued at N4.2 million, Peter Alamu and Ifeanyi Ofoedu on Friday in an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court in Lagos
The accused, Alamu, 23, a truck driver resides at plot 5 Acme road, Ogba, Lagos while Ofoedu, 48, a businessman, lives at Itoolola area of Ogbomosho in Oyo State.
The two accused are standing trial on a three-count charge of conspiracy, stealing and receiving stolen goods.
The prosecutor, Insp. Ezekiel Ayorinde, told the court that both accused committed the offences on Jan. 28 at 12.30 a.m., at Acme Road, Ogba, Lagos.
Ayorinde said that the first accused stole 1,548 crates of Malta Guinness drinks, valued at N4.2million, property of Fafemi Haulage Nig. Limited.
He said that the truck driver was asked to deliver the goods to Guinness Company at Ikeja, but instead he diverted them to an unknown destination and sold them.
Ayorinde said that that the second accused, Ofoedu, received the stolen items, knowing that they were fraudulently obtained.
‘’They were later arrested by the policemen of the Area G patrol team who saw them offloading the goods,’’ he said.
The offences, Ayorinde, he said, contravened Sections 285, 326 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The two accused pleaded innocence of the charges.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 285 prescribes a -three-year jail term for stealing, while Section 326 stipulates 15 years imprisonment for receiving stolen goods.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Omolade Awope, granted the two accused bail in the sum of N500, 000 each with two sureties each in like sum.
She said that the sureties must show evidence of three years’ tax payment.
The magistrate adjourned the case until March 1, for mention. (NAN)
LAW/ORO/DUA
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Edited by Razak Owolabi/Dada Ahmed