Two Men Arraigned For Alleged N6 Million Copper Wire Theft In Ogba

 CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

Two men, Augustine Chibeze, 37, and Emmanuel Emeka, 42, have been arraigned before the Ikeja Magistrate Court for allegedly stealing copper wires valued at N6 million belonging to a company in Ogba area of Lagos State.

The defendants were docked before Magistrate Mr. L.A Owolabi of the Ikeja Magisterial District on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit felony and stealing.

The case was filed by the Commissioner of Police against Augustine Chibeze and Emmanuel Emeka. The prosecution said other suspects connected to the alleged crime are still at large.

According to the charge sheet, the incident happened on July 14, 2026, at about 07:00 hours at Wemco Road, Opposite Sunday Market, Ogba, Lagos, within the Ikeja Magisterial District.

The charge was prepared and signed by a Police Officer from Area G Command, Ogba, Lagos, Inspector Sunday Omegwu, and was approved by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, DPP, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Ogba, under the District Prosecution Office.

The prosecutor in the matter is SP Josephine Ihkayere.

The defendants are facing trial under the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

Count one of the charge reads: “That you Augustine Chibeze ‘M’, Emmanuel Emeka ‘M’ and others now at large on the 14th day of July, 2026 at about 0700hrs at Wemco Road, Opposite Sunday Market, Ogba, Lagos in the Ikeja Magisterial District did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit stealing and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 411 of the Criminal Law, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”

Count two reads: “That you Augustine Chibeze ‘M’, Emmanuel Emeka ‘M’ and others now at large on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District did steal two rolls of copper wires valued at N6,000,000, Six Million Naira only, property of Wemco Company Nigeria Limited and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 280 and punishable under section 287(7) of the Criminal Law, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”

When the charges were read to them in court, the defendants pleaded not guilty to all the counts.

Following their plea, the prosecutor, SP Josephine Ihkayere, informed the court that the defendants had been duly arraigned and requested a date for trial. She did not oppose bail but asked the court to grant bail with conditions that will ensure the defendants attend trial.

The defence counsel applied for bail on behalf of his clients, urging the court to grant them bail on liberal terms and assuring the court that they will not jump bail and will be available for trial.

In his ruling, Magistrate Mr. L.A Owolabi granted the defendants bail with two sureties who must show evidence of means of livelihood and evidence of tax payment.

Magistrate Owolabi ordered that the sureties must provide verifiable evidence of their source of income and must show proof of tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

The court further ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Correctional Center, Kirikiri Town, Lagos, pending when they will perfect their bail conditions.

The case file has been forwarded to the DPP for legal advice and the matter was adjourned to a later date for mention and trial.

The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.