Married Man, 45, Sent To Prison Over N5,000 Plastic Spoons

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

It was a shocking scenario at Ajao Estate Police Division of the Lagos State Command when a 45-year old company worker, George Akpan, arrested for stealing two packs of plastic spoon worth N5,000 and the DPO wanted to resolved the matter by offering to pay the company N10,000 but the owner of the company refused.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the owner of the company, known as Pentagon Plastic Company, located at 3 Ajibade Oke Street, Ajao Estate, insisted that the only thing that will give him joy and satisfaction was see the suspect, Akpan, sent to prison custody to serve as deterrent to other workers, who might want to steal his products.

The Police had no choice than to charge Akpan before the Isolo Magistrates Court for stealing. 

When he was arraigned, he pleaded not guilty. 

The prosecutor, Mr. Oje Uagbale, did not object to his being granted bail because it was a bailable offence rather he asked the Court to give a date for hearing to enable the Police to prove he actually committed the alleged offence.

The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. O. A.Okokhia, granted him bail in the sum of N10,000 with one surety in like sum.

Since 21st December, 2021, when the defendant was charged before the Court and granted bail, he has been languishing in custody because his wife was unable to meet up with the N10,000 with one surety in like sum, which was the bail conditions.
He was remanded in correctional centre at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending when he will perfect his bail conditions while the matter was adjourned till 23th February, 2022, for mention.

When P.M.EXPRESS contacted some workers at the company, they expressed shock over what happened and explained that Akpan was not even at the spoon section and he had not taken the spoon from the company premises before he was accosted and handed over to the Police.
They also stated that the market value of the two packs of the spoon was N1,400 against N5,000 claimed by the company. 

It was also gathered that Akpan’s wife, in her bid to support the husband because of the poor salary he was receiving, opened a shop to be selling food.
She was said to have needed some spoons to start, which may have led Akpan to make attempt to steal the spoons to give to his wife before he was caught and handed over to the Police.