By Tomisin Erogbogbo
Lagos – A Tinubu Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday remanded a truck driver, Adetayo Adelaja, 49 and his friend, Ishola Akinbobola, 57, in prison for allegedly stealing a container-load of Dano milk worth N25.5 million.
The accused whose addresses were not provided, are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and theft.
The Prosecutor, Insp. Ben Ekundayo told the court that the accused persons committed the offences on Aug.11, at Apapa area of Lagos.
Ekundayo said that the milk belonged to General Advance Service Ltd, Lagos.
He added that the truck driver, Adelaja was hired by the company to transport the milk from Apapa to its warehouse at Costain in Iponri area of Lagos.
Ekundayo alleged that when Adelaja got to the warehouse, the warehouse workers could not offload the contents of the container because it was late, adding that the accused was told to come back in the morning for his truck.
He said that instead, Adelaja allegedly called his friend, Akinbobola, to meet him at the warehouse at midnight with a buyer.
“The accused persons offloaded the content of the container into another truck before morning and took it to an unknown destination.
“When the workers got to the warehouse they met an empty container,” the prosecutor said
Ekundayo said that during investigation the products were traced to the market and Adelaja named as the one who sold the product to the distributor, which led to the arrest of the accused persons.
He said the offences contravened sections 287 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
He said the law prescribes three and two years imprisonment for the first and second offence respectively for offenders.
The Magistrate, Mrs A.M Olumide-Fusika adjourned the case till Oct. 23, for hearing