LAGOS – Four men were on Tuesday arraigned in a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly breaking into a shop and stealing alcoholic beverages worth N56,000.
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The accused are: Glad Ilevbaoje, 41; Godspower Agbedia, 35; Ndifreka Joseph, 27 and Taiwo Salami, 35.
The accused are facing charges of conspiracy, breaking into a building to commit a felony, wilful damage to property and stealing.
They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The prosecutor, Sgt. Aondohemba Koti, told the court that the accused committed the offences at noon on Nov. 15, 2014, at the Ikota Housing Estate in Ajah, Lagos.
The prosecutor said that the men with others still at large broke into the shop of a trader, Mrs Abigail Augustine, to steal her wares.
Koti said the accused stole five cartons of Gulder, five cartons of Star, a carton of Calypso, six bottles of red wine, three cartons of Sabina drinks and two cartons of Small Stout.
Other items stolen include two cartons of Chelsea gin, two big coolers, five empty crates and N40,000 cash.
The prosecutor said luck, however, ran out on the accused as the complainant caught them in the act and reported them to the authorities.
Koti estimated the worth of the alcoholic beverages stolen at N56,000 and damage done to Augustine’s shop at N133,000.
The prosecutor said that the offences committed contravened sections 285(5) (a), 307(1), 349(4) (b) and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 307 prescribes seven years imprisonment for anyone convicted of breaking into a building to commit a felony.
The Magistrate, Mrs Salama Matepo, granted each of the accused bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case to March 11 for mention. (NAN)
