Court orders remand of 5 men accused of stealing 120 bags of rice
Five men charged with breaking into shops and stealing 120 bags of rice, were on Monday remanded in Kirikiri Prison, on the orders of an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.
The defendants: Ayomide Adeneye, 39, Tope Faleye, 25, Nosiru Yusuf, 27, Dare Rasaq, 28, and Gbenga Oshinbayo, 21, reside at different parts of Mowe in Ogun and Ikorodu, Lagos.
The defendants were docked on charges bordering on conspiracy, burglary, robbery and possession of arms.
The magistrate, Mrs B.O. Osunsanmi, did not take the plea of the defendants, but ordered their remand, pending legal advice from the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPPs).
The defendants committed the offences on Nov. 15, 2018 at Ikorodu, Lagos, the prosecutor, ASP Ezekiel Ayorinde, told the court.
He said that the defendants armed themselves with gun and other dangerous weapons, burgled shops to steal 120 bags of rice valued at N2,067,000 belonging to the complainants.
“The defendants robbed Mr Iziogo Okechukwe of 18 bags of 50kg rice valued at N279,000, they robbed Mr Samuel Ewebonyi of 37 bags worth N588,000.
“The defendants carted away 65 bags of rice belonging to Mrs Baliki Oluyana valued at N1.2million, all totalling N2,067,000.”
Ayorinde said that in the process of escaping with the looted goods, police accosted them.
“The police who were on patrol heard noise from one of the shops, decided to check what was happening at that time of the night.
“The defendants on sighting the policemen coming toward them, jumped into their vehicle and speed off.
“The police ran after them, in the process, there was exchange of fire, while the third defendant, Yusuf, was shot, the other defendants pushed him out of
the moving vehicle.
“Yusuf was arrested and taken to hospital, the information he provided after he recovered led to the arrest of others.
“A gun, knives, cutlasses, iron rods and charms were recovered from them,” the prosecutor said.
The offences violated Sections 279, 299, 307 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 279 prescribes 21 years imprisonment for arming self with firearms or offensive weapons, while Section 299 also attracts 21 years for robbery.
The case was adjourned until April 17 for mention. (NAN)
