Three individuals, Stanley Gabriel, Yusuf Olaitan, and Ifeanyi Ogbu. Have been charged by the Lagos State Police Command with allegedly stealing roofing sheets. Worth N60 million from a firm called Landing Zhao in the state’s Dopemu region.
The trio was charged with three charges of receiving stolen property and three counts of theft before Magistrate Adeola Olatunbosun.
Gabriel and Olaitan, two of the defendants, were accused of stealing the supplies from the company’s storage. Selling them to Ogbu and other fugitives, and then splitting the money among themselves.
Before the third defendant was also detained and charged with a crime, Olaitan and Ogbu were first taken into custody and charged in court.
Rita Momoh, the prosecution, informed the court that the defendants committed the crime at No. 1, Shitta Street, Dopemu, Lagos, between January and May 2023.
According to Momoh, the offenses violated Sections 411, 297(7), and 328(1) of the Lagos State Criminal Law of Nigeria from 2015.
The charges reads, “That you, Yusuf Olaitan, Ifeanyi Ogbu, and others at large, between January to May 2023, at No. 1, Shitta Street, Dopemu, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did steal Gerald roofing sheets valued at N60m, properties of one Landing Zhao, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 287(7) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.
“That you, Ifeanyi Ogbu, and others at large, on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did receive Gerald roofing sheets valued at N60m from one Yusuf Olaitan and others at large, knowing well that it was stolen property of one Landing Zhao and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 328(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”
However, the defendants entered a plea of not guilty to the accusations made against them.
The magistrate granted them each a bail of N500,000 with two trustworthy sureties.
The matter was postponed to August 11, 2023, for mention.
cc: Punch Ng
