Six men on Thursday appeared before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, for allegedly breaking into a warehouse and stealing goods worth N51.3 million.
The defendants are Teslim Adebambo, 43; Gbolahan Olawepo, 52; Olanrewaju, 50; Folorunsho Ganiu, 34; Tochukwu Ugwu, 35; and Kazeem Shekoni, 40.
They are standing trial on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, breaking in, stealing and receiving stolen goods.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Sgt. Cyriacus Osuji, told the court that the defendants committed the offences between 2015 and 2020, at No. 39, Docemo St., Lagos Island.
He said that the first to fourth defendants broke into a warehouse at the above-mentioned address and stole goods ranging from 19 cartons of 100 bulbs to 20 cartons of 200 bulbs.
Other allegedly stolen include 11 cartons of 500 bulb LED lights, five cartons of waterfall, cartons of laser lights and other cartons of different types of lights and other items used in decoration.
Osuji said that the stolen goods worth N51.3 million, adding that they belonged to two businessmen, Messrs Joseph Oluwole and Abosede Alape.
The prosecutor said that the defendants stole goods worth N33.9 million from Oluwole and goods worth N17.4 million from Alape.
He also said that the fifth and sixth defendants received some of the stolen goods from the other four defendants, with the knowledge that the goods were stolen.
Osuji said that the alleged offences contravened Sections 287, 328 (2) (b) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The Magistrate, Mrs A. O. Erinle granted the first to fourth defendants bail in the sum N1 million each, with two sureties each in like sum.
She ordered that one of the sureties must own a landed property in Lagos, while the second must have blood relationship with the defendant.
Erinle granted the fifth and sixth defendants bail in the sum of N500, 000 each, with two sureties each in like sum.
She ordered that the sureties must provide six months bank statement of their accounts and show evidence of tax payments to the Lagos State Government.
The magistrate adjourned the case until Aug. 13 for mention.
