Man docked for stealing spaghetti at a plaza in Lagos

A 29-year-old unemployed man, Monday Suileman, who allegedly sneaked into a shopping plaza and stole three cartons of spaghetti, was on Thursday charged before a Badagry Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State.

The accused, who resides at No. 2, Adewusi St., Ajara Dokoh area of Badagry, is facing a charge of stealing. Prosecutor Innocent Uko told the court that the accused committed the offence at Ajun Plaza in Gbaji area of Badagry, but did not state when the offence was committed.

Uko said the accused stole the items from the shop of the complainant, Miss Gbemi Adoveh.

“The accused went into the shop in the plaza and as soon as he noticed that there was no one there, he took three cartons of spaghetti but he was immediately apprehended by the shop owner.”

The offence contravened Section 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011. The accused, according to the section, may be sentenced to three years in jail upon conviction. The accused, however, denied the charge.

Mr Remi Ajose, counsel to the accused, urged the court to grant him bail, saying he will not jump bail. In his ruling, Magistrate Abiodun Etti granted the accused bail in the sum of N50,000 with a surety in like sum.

Further hearing has been adjourned to October 7.

NAN

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Principal accuses teacher of stealing missing generator in Warri

The Principal of Uwangue Basic Secondary School in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, Mr. Urowayinor O. S. on Thursday accused a teacher in the institution, simply identified as Lucky, of allegedly stealing a missing generator belonging to the school.

Urowayinor disclosed this much during a hot argument with the teacher, who he cautioned to replace the generator or face the consequences, threatening to report the matter to higher authorities.

In a swift reaction, Mr. Lucky denied the allegations, saying, “I don’t even know a generator set is inside the toilet and I don’t go there at all to ease myself. The principal is accusing me falsely and I don’t like it.”

The teacher also vowed to swear in line with Itsekiri oracles to prove his innocence if that will save his name from being dragged into the mud.

Mr. Lucky, who many other teachers described as a Christian, expressed bitterness over the matter, noting that he has put in a number of years in the teaching profession and would not like to be disgraced by anyone, not even the principal.

In another development, the body of a fourteen year old boy, simply identified as Kevwe, has been found in an abandoned apartment at Odjiugo Street in Okumagba Layout, Warri. He reportedly died yesterday due to alleged maltreatment from his father’s wife.

According to DAILY POST reports, it gathered that the fourteen year old boy was allegedly taken from his biological mother abroad to Nigeria by his father, Ochuko who came to Nigeria to pick another woman as wife.

It was learnt that the fourteen year old boy endured hardship in the hands of his father’s wife, who was said to continually deprive him of food, shelter, clothing and education as he sleeps in an abandoned apartment in their compound at Odjiugo Street.

Our correspondent gathered that the lifeless body of the fourteen year old was discovered floating in a dirty water inside the abandoned apartment by neighbours, who also raised the alarm before the corpse was removed by his father for burial.

As at the time of filing this report, the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Celestina Kalu could not be reached as calls put across to her mobile phone line failed to connect.

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I derive pleasure in stealing – Suspect

A suspected thief, Babatunde Ibrahim, who allegedly specialises in stealing phones, says he derives pleasure in the act. The 28-year-old suspect told the police that he had been stealing since his childhood, confessing that he had stolen over 100 phones.

According to PUNCH Metro, Ibrahim was arrested on Sunday by operatives of Rapid Response Squad, Lagos State Police Command, at the Ikeja Along end of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway while he was returning from a burglary in the Ilupeju area of the state.

The suspect told the police that he had entered the building through the balcony door which was left ajar, and stole three phones and other valuables. Ibrahim said he usually sold the stolen items to Sanni Azeez and Hakeem Kamoru, adding that his targets were mainly motorists trapped in gridlock.

He said, “The act of stealing has become part of me. I am a specialist in burgling people’s houses. I used to gain entrance into any house by breaking the door or cutting window net with a razor blade. I derive pleasure in taking what does not belong to me.”

“Apart from burglary, I also operate during traffic jams, especially on Ikorodu Road, Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway and Apapa-Oshodi Expressway. The last operation I went for was at Ilupeju where luck ran out on me. I stole two Nokia phones, one BlackBerry and other valuables. The receivers of the phones I stole are Sanni (Azeez) and Hakeem (Kamoru). They live on Akala Street, Mushin.”

Punch correspondent learnt that Ibrahim’s confession, led to the arrest of the two accomplices. The RRS, Commander, Olatunji Disu, said his men gave Ibrahim a chase after noticing that his movement was suspicious, adding that he was arrested when he could not give satisfactory answers to questions they asked him.

He said, “We noticed his suspicious movement. He wanted to drop his bag in one corner, but when he found out that we had seen him, he bolted. But we gave him a chase and caught up with him. We conducted a thorough check on his bag where we recovered the stolen items.”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, said the suspect would be charged to court after the conclusion of investigation. She said, “The three suspects have been transferred to the Ilupeju Police Station. They will be charged to court.”

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Two teenagers bag six-month jail term for stealing church properties

Two teenagers who stole items worth millions of naira from two different churches in Dutse, Bwari Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, have been sentenced to six months imprisonment by an Abuja Grade 1 Area court.

The convicts, Bello Hassan and Friday Baba, all of Dutse Baupma, were handed the jail term after been found guilty of conspiracy, church breaking and theft, offences which contravened Sections 97, 349 and 288 of the Penal Code.

While testifying in court, the prosecuting officer, Kelechi Echendu, said the complainants, Pastor Damilola Daniels of RCCG House of Mercy, Dutse Alhaji, and Pastor Daramola Kayode of RCCG, God’s Heritage Parish, Dutse Baupma, both reported on August 14 that the accused burgled their respective churches.

Echendu told the court that the convicts stole two cooking stoves, two medium generators, one big generators, two big 5000AV stabilizers, a bag containing women head-gears and jewelries, curtains, two Air-conditioners, one Nokia phone, loud speakers, one Samsung camera, eight new pair of pastoral suits, 10 new shirts, wrist watch and other items valued at N1,360,000.

The prosecutor further stated that upon interrogation, the convicts confessed to the crime saying they sold the items stole to one Dini Saidu of Galadima, who is now late. He added that some of the stolen items were recovered from the deceased before his death. The duo pleaded guilty to the charges while blaming the devil for the act.

Following their guilty plea, the judge, Mohammed Marafa sentenced them to six months imprisonment each with an option of N15,000 fine. Marafa also ordered the convict to pay a compensation fee of N400, 000 to the two churches.

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Two teenagers bag six-month jail term for stealing church properties

Two teenagers who stole items worth millions of naira from two different churches in Dutse, Bwari Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, have been sentenced to six months imprisonment by an Abuja Grade 1 Area court.

The convicts, Bello Hassan and Friday Baba, all of Dutse Baupma, were handed the jail term after been found guilty of conspiracy, church breaking and theft, offences which contravened Sections 97, 349 and 288 of the Penal Code.

While testifying in court, the prosecuting officer, Kelechi Echendu, said the complainants, Pastor Damilola Daniels of RCCG House of Mercy, Dutse Alhaji, and Pastor Daramola Kayode of RCCG, God’s Heritage Parish, Dutse Baupma, both reported on August 14 that the accused burgled their respective churches.

Echendu told the court that the convicts stole two cooking stoves, two medium generators, one big generators, two big 5000AV stabilizers, a bag containing women head-gears and jewelries, curtains, two Air-conditioners, one Nokia phone, loud speakers, one Samsung camera, eight new pair of pastoral suits, 10 new shirts, wrist watch and other items valued at N1,360,000.

The prosecutor further stated that upon interrogation, the convicts confessed to the crime saying they sold the items stole to one Dini Saidu of Galadima, who is now late. He added that some of the stolen items were recovered from the deceased before his death. The duo pleaded guilty to the charges while blaming the devil for the act.

Following their guilty plea, the judge, Mohammed Marafa sentenced them to six months imprisonment each with an option of N15,000 fine. Marafa also ordered the convict to pay a compensation fee of N400, 000 to the two churches.

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