Five men, Henry Agbodje,31; Okechukwu John Kingsley, 45; Samuel Elijah, 43, Gabriel Akporowoh, 42; Emmanuel Etim Endurance, 33 and a woman, Esther Raymond, aged 31, were today, arraigned before an Igbosere Chief Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, for alleged conspiracy and stealing of petroleum products valued N35, 267, 487, 36 million.
The five men and the woman were arraigned before Magistrate A. Alogba led-court on the charges of conspiracy and stealing of the said petroleum products, by the men of Force Criminal Intelligence and Investment Department (Force CIID) Annex, Alagbon-Ikoyi, Lagos.
The defendants, according to the Force CIID’s Legal Officer, Mr. Morufu Animashaun, committed the offences on or about January 6, 2020, at Beachland Industrial Estate, Kirikiri Phase 1, Lighter Terminal, Apapa.
Animashaun further told the court that the defendants, who were all workers of a company in the estate, conspired among themselves to commit the heinous act, which he said a contrary to Section 230 (1) and 411 of the Criminal Law Cap C17 Vol. 3. Laws of Lagos State 2015 and punishable under Section 287 (5) of the same Criminal Law 2015.
All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following their not guilty plea, Animashaun asked the court for a trial date, while also asked the court to remand all the defendants in the custody of Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS), till the fulfilment of the bail conditions.
However, defendants’ counsel, S. A. Owhoraye, A. A. Isimikaye, M. A. Osamede, O. A. Aboyede and B. N. Nwaigwe, applied to the court to grant their clients bail in the most liberal terms.
The counsel to the defendants, informed the court that the charges against their clients are bailable ones and they are all first time offenders, who have no previous criminal records.
Ruling on the submissions of the prosecution and the defence, Magistrate Alogba, admitted bail to each of the defendants in the sum of N300,000 with two responsible sureties each in like sum.
The Magistrate also ordered that the defendants’ sureties must be residents of Lagos State, with evidence of mean livelihood and three years tax to the Lagos State government.
Magistrate Alogba, however ordered that the all defendants should be remanded in the custody of NCS, till the fulfilment of the bail terms, while adjourned the matter till April 16, for mention.
