Paul Iyoghojie
The Police at the Zone 2 Command, Lagos have arrested two salesmen with Allau Ventures located at Oke-Arin market area of Ebute-Ero, Idumota, Lagos Island and charged them before a Lagos Magistrate’s Court for allegedly stealing their employer’s goods valued at N24,056,000.
Also arrested and charged alongside the salesmen was the alleged receiver of the stolen goods, Ndubwe Morka, 22, also a trader at Oke-Arin market, Lagos Island.
Police alleged that the defendants, Fatai Sodiq, 26 and Riliwan Wasiu, 38, who are salesmen with the complainant, the Manager in charge of Allau Ventures, Alhaja Idowu Lawal allegedly broke into their employer’s store at midnight after closing hours to steal goods valued at N24,056,000 and took the goods to sell to their receiver, Morka at give away price and fled.
Police further alleged that nemesis, however, caught up with the defendants when the complainant arrived at her store the following morning to discover that her store had been broken and goods carted away.
Police alleged that following the incident, the complainant petitioned the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG in charge of Zone 2 Command, Lagos who directed his crack team to fish out the fleeing salesmen anywhere they might be hiding and recover the stolen goods from them.
Following the directive, the Police team swung into action and arrested the salesmen at a hideout on Lagos Island following intelligence gathering and tracking.
The defendants allegedly confessed to the crime and led the Police to arrest the alleged receiver of the stolen goods at his shop.
The three defendants were charged before the Tinubu Magistrate’s Court, Lagos Island, on a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy, breaking and entry, Stealing and threat to life.
Police Counsel, Ibrahim Haruna told the Court in the charge marked B/48/2022 that the defendants committed the offence in 2021 and on 12 November 2022 at midnight.
Haruna informed the Court that the salesmen betrayed the trust reposed in them by their employer and broke into her store to steal goods valued at N24,056,000 and sold the goods to their receiver at a giveaway price and escaped before they were arrested at a hideout.
Haruna said the offences, the defendants committed were punishable under sessions 411, 308, 328(1)(2b), 168b of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and their counsel, Barr. Augustine Okeh urged the Court to grant the defendants bail in the most liberal terms with the promise that they would not jump bail if granted.
The presiding Magistrate, Mr B.A. Sonuga granted them N1,000,000 bail each with two sureties each in like sum.
Sonuga adjourned the case till 18 January 2023 for mention and ordered that the defendants be detained at the Ikoyi correctional facility till they fulfil the bail conditions.
