MICHAEL AKINOLA
A 32-year old man, Popoola Idris, has been arrested and charged in Lagos State for allegedly stealing armoured electrical cables, which supplied power to the street light along International/Local Airport link road, Ikeja, worth about N20m belonging to Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened on 1st September, 2024, besides Air Force Shopping Complex, Muritala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
According to the Police, the suspect went at night, cut off the cables belonging to FAAN from the transformer, and threw the whole place into darkness.
However, while he tried to escape, he was caught and handed over to the Police at Airport Division for interrogation over his alleged conduct that caused darkness in the area.
After rounds of interrogation, the Police found him culpable and consequently charged him before the Ogba Magistrate Court for the alleged offence under the Criminal Laws of the State.
The charges read:
COUNT 1: That you, Popoola Idris ‘m’, on the 1st day of September, 2024, at about 21:30hrs, beside Nigerian Air Force Shopping Complex. Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, in the Ikeja Magisterial District, did willfully damage about 200 meters of electrical armored cables that supplied power to the street lights along International/Local Airport link road, Ikeja by cutting off the cable from the transformer, valued twenty million Naira (N20,000,000), belonging to Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 350 of the criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
COUNT 2: That you, Popoola Idris ‘m’, on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did steal electrical armoured cable valued twenty million Naira (N20,000,000.00), property of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 280 (1) (a) (b) and punishable under section 287 of the criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
He pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned.
The prosecutor, Supol Akeem Raji, 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, Mrs. B.O. Osunsanmi, granted him bail 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 defendant was remanded in custody at the correctional center at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending when he will perfect his bail conditions.