Man, 41, Arraigned For Bypassing Prepaid Meter & Incurring N. 7m Debt
KINGSLEY EBERE
A 41-year old man, Okoye Henry, has landed in trouble in Lagos State for allegedly bypassing the prepaid meter allocated to him and Incurring a debt of N.7m before he was caught.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the suspect, Henry, has been arrested and charged for the alleged criminal conduct.
The incident happened at Alamutun Street, Ifako ljaiye area of Lagos, where he resides.
According to the Police, the suspect was allocated the prepaid meter and in 2022, he bypassed the meter and started using free electricity light before he was exposed.
The matter was reported to the Police at Pen-Cinema Division. He was arrested and detained at the station for interrogation over his alleged conduct.
After thorough interrogation, the Police found him culpable and charged him before the Ogba Magistrate Court for the alleged offence which attracts several years of imprisonment.
The charges read:
“That you, OKOYE HENRY ‘M’ sometime in May 2022 till date at No. 15. Alamutun Street, Ifako ljaive Lagos in the Lagos Magisterial District, through a prepaid meter No. 4271918270 allocated with your phone No. 07038289078 obtained credit by falsely bypassing the said meter without the consent of Power Holding Company of Nigeria “PHCN’ and thereby committed an offence Punishable under Section 315(1)(a) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State Nigeria 2015.”
COUNT II:”That you, OKOYE HENRY ‘M’ on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did unlawfully incur the total sum of 729,000-K property of Power Holding Company of Nigeria “PICN” assigned to Joe Okosun and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 287 of Criminal Law of Lagos State Nigeria, 2015.”
However, he pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, Supol Josephine Ihkayere, then asked the Court to give a date for hearing since he pleaded not guilty to enable the Police to prove that he actually committed the alleged offence.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mr. L.A. Owolabi, granted him bail with two sureties, 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 defendant was remanded in custody at the correctional center at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending when he will perfect his bail conditions.
