Notorious Handsets Thief, Boniface, Jailed For Stealing At Lekki Events Centre

PAUL IYOGHOJIE

A 33 year-old notorious handsets thief who had operated in Abuja and Ajah area of Lagos for some time, Kelvin Boniface, has been sentenced to two years and six months imprisonment by an Igbosere Magistrate’s Court, Lagos for stealing an Infinix Hot 10i handset valued at N150,000, a laptop and a bag at an Events Centre inside LilyGate Hotel located at 2, Olubunmi Owa Street, Lekki Phase I, Lagos.

The convict was sentenced and convicted by Magistrate A.O Alogba after he pleaded guilty to the three-count charges bordering on conspiracy and stealing preferred against him by the Police at the Maroko Division, Lekki, Lagos and the  facts of the case presented before the Court by the Police Prosecutor, Inspector Magaji Haruna.

Police Prosecutor Haruna had told the Court that the journey to jail started for the convict when he and his accomplice, now at large, sneaked inside a party at the Event Centre which was strictly by invitation.

Haruna said that the event organisers believing the convict and his accomplice were invited guests and did not bother to question their presence and that the convict later swiftly walked to where guests were charging their phones inside the event centre to quietly steal the phone, a bag and a laptop and handed the stolen items over to his friend to go out through another exit gate. But unknown to him, a vigilant security man had sighted him and put his colleagues on alert.

The Police Prosecutor added that the convict was apprehended by the security men on duty at the exit gate 1 as he made to escape with the stolen phone while his accomplice succeeded in escaping through the exit gate 2 after dropping off the  stolen bag and laptop and took to heels vanishing into thin air to the surprise of the security men while the convict who was caught with the stolen phone was held down till the Police arrived the scene to arrest him following a distress call by the security men.

Haruna further told the Court that during investigation, Police discovered that the convict had perpetrated the same act in Abuja and Ajah, Lagos through various CCTV Cameras analysis and fled.

He said the offences committed were punishable under sections 411,406 and 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.