MICHAEL AKINOLA
A 48-year old woman, Joy Eloanyi, has been arrested and charged in Lagos State for allegedly burgling another woman’s shop at night and carting away items worth N80m before she escaped.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened at Abiodun Jagun Street, Ogba area of Lagos, where the shop owned by Favour Chioma Ikechi is located.
Some of the items carted away included assorted phones, cameras, laptops and other accessories worth the amount in question.
According to Police, the suspect conspired with others now at large, broke into the shop in question when the owner has closed, locked the shop and gone back home.
The suspect, who had monitored that the complainant had gone home, arranged, broke into the shop and carted away the items before they escaped.
The following day, when the owner came to open the shop, she discovered that the shop was burgled and the items carted away.
The matter was reported to the Police at the Area G Command, Ogba, Lagos. The operatives moved into action, eventually arrested and detained the suspect for interrogation over the matter.
After rounds of interrogation, the Police found her culpable and subsequently charged her before the Ogba Magistrate Court for conspiracy and stealing, which attracts several years of imprisonment.
However, she pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, Supol Evelyn Ehieniua, then asked the Court to give a date for hearing since she pleaded not guilty to enable the Police to prove that she actually committed the alleged offence.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mr. M.A. Adegbaye, granted her bail in the sum of N1m with two sureties in like sum, who must show evidence of means of livelihood and tax payment.
The Court also ordered that one of the sureties must be the blood relation of the defendant and the addresses must be verified by the Court.
The matter was adjourned for mention while the defendant was remanded in custody at the correctional centre at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending when she will perfect her bail conditions.