MICHAEL AKINOLA
A company’s Executive Sales Representative, Kehinde Ajani, has been sentenced to four and half years imprisonment for conspiracy and stealing the company’s products worth N4.5m in Rivers State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the convicted Ajani was employed by Hyde Energy Ltd as Sales Rep Executive covering eight stations from August 2008 to September 2018 and he allegedly conspired and stole 30,000 litres of automotive Gas Oil worth N4,509,000 when delivery of the product was taken from the NNPC depot.
Ajani’s journey to prison started after the Hyde Energy conducted both internal and external investigation and found out that the product had been loaded as against what Ajani had informed the management. This prompted the company to enlist the services of Messrs Adeniji Kazeem & Co, which wrote a petition dated 15th April, 2019, was lodged at the State-CID Division of the Nigerian Police Force in Port Harcourt.
The Police conducted their investigation and found Ajani culpable and he was untraceable as he had fled from his known address in Lagos State.
The Police then had to trace him to Ogun State with the aid of a tracker, where he was finally apprehended and taken to Port Harcourt, Rivers State for prosecution.
He was subsequently charged before the Magistrates Court on two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing on 28th May, 2019 and remanded in custody pending the fulfillment of bail conditions.
The trial had begun before the then Presiding Magistrate was elevated to the High Court and the suit was transferred to another Chief Magistrate, Mr. Victor Ugoji and the matter started afresh on 9th September, 2021 and the prosecutor closed his case.
The Defence informed the Court of their intention to raise no-case submission. When the suit was ajourned to 30th September, 2021, the Court heard arguments for and against the no-case submission and the matter was adjourned sine die.
However, there was a delay in obtaining the ruling on no case submission, which prompted the complainant to write a petition to the Honourable Chief Judge of Rivers State to prevail on the situation.
The Chief Judge ensured that the said petition received the desired attention; the suit was assigned for ruling on the no-case submission which was ruled against the Defendant and the Court ordered him to open his defence.
On 16th August, 2022, parties argued and adopted their respective written adresses, and the matter was adjourned to 5th September, 2022, for judgment. However, the Court could not deliver the judgment due to the Presiding Magistrate’s busy schedule. Thus, the judgment was delivered on 6th September 2022.
The Court found Ajani guilty of conspiracy and stealing.
Both the Defendant and his Counsel entreated the Court to temper justice with mercy. They said he was a first-time offender without any prior criminal records before any Court. He is the head of his family, and his children would miss him for guidance. They both begged for liniency.
The Presiding Magistrate held that the case falls squarely on betrayal of trust that the complainant had reposed in the defendant, and he should serve as deterrent to others. He stated also that he would consider the allocutus, being that the Defendant is a
first-time offender. On the offence of Conspiracy Court sentenced the Defendant to 18th months imprisonment with hard labour with an
option of fine in the sum of N50,000
On the offence of stealing, Court sentenced the Defendant to three years imprisonment with hard labour with an option of fine in the sum of N100,000.
The ordered the convict to pay the sum of N4,000,000 to the
Complainant as compensation for the product.The Defendant to pay the sum of N100,0000 (Hundred Thousand Naira) to the complaint for cost of litigation.