A 43-year-old man, Adesokan Babatunde, was arraigned before an Ojo Magistrate Court over allegations of conspiracy and theft of electricity equipment worth ₦33,360,000 along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
According to the charge sheet made available to P.M.EXPRESS, the defendant was arraigned alongside others said to be at large for offences said to have occurred at Odo-Eran area of the expressway.
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, was the complainant in the matter filed at the Ojo Magisterial District.
The prosecution alleged that the defendant and others, between last year and early this year at about evening hours at Odo-Eran, Lagos-Badagry Express Road, conspired to commit felony to wit stealing.
The offence, according to the charge, is contrary to and punishable under Section 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.
In the second count, the charge sheet further alleged that on the same date, time and place, the defendant and others now at large allegedly stole several items belonging to a private individual.
The items listed in the charge sheet included transformer laminations of different KVA ratings, cable glands, kilos of copper wire, and drums of transformer oil.
The total value of the alleged stolen items was put at the said amount according to the document presented before the court.
The prosecution said the alleged act contravened Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.
When the charges were read to him in court, the defendant pleaded ‘Not Guilty’ to all the counts.
The prosecutor in the matter was SP Uche Simeon, while the Investigating Police Officer was from Onireke Police Station. The Presiding Magistrate, Mr. L.K.J Layeni, granted the defendant bail with two sureties.
The court ordered that the matter be adjourned for mention to enable the Police to conclude investigations and possibly produce other suspects mentioned as being at large.
However, he was remanded in custody at a Correctional Center at Badagry pending when he will perfect his bail conditions.
The alleged theft of transformer parts and cables has been a major concern for residents and businesses along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, where power outages have been linked to vandalism of electricity infrastructure. P.M.EXPRESS gathered that investigations are ongoing regarding the case and will continue to monitor developments as the case proceeds at the Ojo Magistrate Court.
Legal experts say the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a Court of competent jurisdiction.