3 charged with robbing ATM users of N215,000

Three persons who allegedly robbed two men of their ATM cards and forced them to divulge their pin numbers in order to withdraw money from their accounts were on Monday arraigned in Lagos.

The accused, Biodun Aguda, 30; Dapo Olanrewaju, 27, and Olalekan Abraham, 30, live at different parts of Agege, a suburb of Lagos State.

They were charged with conspiracy and stealing before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.

The Prosecutor, Cpl. Mike Unah, told the court that the accused committed the offences on Sept. 20 at Iju-Ishaga, Lagos.

He said that the accused conspired to forcefully collect the ATM cards and pin numbers of one Mr Allen Sosu and Mr Tunde Fawehinmi and withdrew money from their accounts.

“The trio conspired to forcefully collect the ATM cards and pin numbers of the complainants.

“The accused targeted their victims and after the complainants finished using the ATM machine, they followed them and forcefully led them back to the ATM machine.

“They forced them to reveal their pins, threatened to kill them if they refused to comply and withdrew N70,000 from Sosu’s account and N145,000 from Fawehinmi,’’ he said.

The offences, Olatunde said, contravened Sections 285 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

Section 285 prescribes a three-year jail term as penalty for the offence of stealing.

However, the accused each pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail each in the sum of N50,000 with one surety each in like sum.

The Magistrate, Mrs A. O Gbajumo, adjourned the case to Oct. 28 for mention.