MICHAEL AKINOLA
Two facility managers of an estate company, Onana Project Limited, Maxwell Enabor, 46 and Tajudeen Fakomi, have landed in trouble in Lagos State for allegedly disconnecting electricity supply on a property they manage for a landlord, Akinlade Odunayo.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the tenant, Stanley Iheanusi, alleged that while they were disconnecting electricity supply to his apartment, they damaged his property worth over N1.2m despite the fact that he was not owing electricity light bill.
The incident happened at Adekunle Fajuyi Close, off Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja, Lagos, where the complainant rented an apartment.
Thus, he reported the matter to the Police at MAN Center Division. The suspects were arrested for interrogation including an electrician, Thompson Monday, 18, who they used to disconnect the light.
During interrogation, the suspects claimed that they disconnected the light despite the fact that they were not electricity workers because the complainant was owing electricity bill.
However, their claims turned out to be false after the complainant rendered the recent bill payment and they were unable to put up another excuse. Consequently, the Police found them culpable and charged them before the Ogba Magistrate Court for the alleged offence.
Part of the charges read: “That you, Thompson Monday, Maxwell Enabor and Tajudeen Fakomi ,on the same date time and place did conspire to interfere, disconnect electric power source linked to one Stanley Ibeanusi’s apartment and cause damage to his laptop worth N1,200,000.00 and AKT 15,000.00k and thereby committed an offence contrary punishable under Section 340 of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2015.”
Another count read:”That you, the defendants on the same date, time and place in the aforesaid Magisterial District, did conduct yourself in a manner without his consent by disconnecting the public power supply to an apartment in order to defraud him by asking him to pay for an undue electricity bill thereby committed an offence contrary and punishable under Section 339 sub sectio (2) and (4) of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2015.”
However, they pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, Supol Oje Uagbale, then asked the Court to give a date for hearing since they pleaded not guilty to enable the Police to prove that they actually committed the alleged offence.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mr. O.O. Salami, granted them bail in the sum of N100,000 with sureties in like sum, who must show evidence of means of livelihood and tax payment while addresses will be verified by the Court.
The matter was adjourned till 1st November, 2024, for continuation of trial.