2 women, Ayinde Nimota, 39 and Modinat Adelekan, 43, have been arrested and charged in Lagos State for allegedly stealing and receiving stolen drinks worth N10m inside the market.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened at Balogun Market, Mashalashi Alhaja, Agege area of Lagos.
According to the Police, the suspects and others now at large allegedly stole the items belonging to Nneka Moses.
However, the owner of the items reported the matter to the Police at Area G Command, Ogba and the operatives moved into action. They eventually arrested the suspects and detained them at the Command for interrogation over the alleged offence.
After rounds of interrogation, the Police found them culpable and charged them before the Ogba Magistrate Court for the alleged offence which attracts several years of imprisonment.
The charges read: “That you, Ayinde Nimota and Modinat Adelekan and others still at large sometime in 2023 to 6th of July, 2024, at Balogun Market, Mashalashi Alhaja, Agege, Lagos in the Ikeja Magisterial District, did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit stealing and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 411 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”
COUNT II:-“That you, Ayinde Nimota and Modinat Adelekan and others still at large on the same date, time and place in the aforesaid Magisterial district, did steal cartons of Seaman Drinks, Action Bitters, Chelsea, Origin Bitters and Black Wood Drinks with total value of Ten Million Naira only (N10,000,000.00) properties of one Nneka Moses ‘F’ and thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 280 and punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”
COUNT III:-“That you, Ayinde Nimota and Modinat Adelekan and others still at large sometime in 2023 at Ikeja Market and Agege Market respectively, did dishonestly receive cartons of Seaman and Action Drinks valued Ten Million Naira (N10,000,000.00) properties of Nneka Moses ‘F’ knowing fully that same items were stolen and you committed an offence contrary to and punishable under the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”
However, they pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, Supol Josephine Ihkayere, 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. L.A. Owolabi, granted them bail in the sum of N500,000 with two 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 for mention while the defendants were remanded in custody at the correctional center at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending when they will perfect their bail conditions.