I am guilty of stealing three pants, conductor pleads in court

Two bus conductors, Peter Ayodele, aged 20, and Chibuzor David, aged 21, were yesterday arraigned in Lagos before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court for allegedly stealing three under-wears belonging to a housewife.

The duo were arraigned on two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing before Magistrate, M.O. Tanimola.
 
Following Ayodele’s plea of being guilty to the charges, the magistrate ordered him to be remanded in Kirikiri Prisons pending review of the facts of the case and sentencing while he admitted David to N80,000 bail with two sureties in like sum.

Earlier, the police prosecutor, Aondohemba Koti, said Ayodele, a resident of Oshodi, and David, who lives at Ejigbo area of Lagos allegedly committed the offence on February 6, at Idi-Oro, Mushin. They stole three under-wears belonging to one Mrs. Kehinde Oladimeji with the intent to use it for ritual purposes.

The police on patrol apprehended them.

According to the prosecution, “the defendants unlawfully entered the complainant’s house at night while she was sleeping and stole three of her pants. But luck ran against them as they were caught by a team of policemen on patrol.

“They were asked of their mission at the time of the night and could not give a satisfactory answer, they were searched and three female under-wears were found on them.

“Ayodele told the police where they stole the underwear from and when the scene of the theft was visited by the police, the complainant confirmed that the pants were her own,’’ the prosecutor said.

Their offence is contrary to Sections 287 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised). The matter was subsequently adjourned to March 4.

Meanwhile an Osogbo Chief Magistrates’ Court also yesterday ordered the remand of a 29-year-old Rasaq Iyanda, for allegedly stealing a 13-year-old girl’s pant. The prosecutor, ASP Idoko James, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on February 6, at about 2:00p.m. at Dalegun compound, Osogbo.

James said the defendant removed the pant of the minor, who was sleeping at the corridor at her parent’s house. He said the complainant, father of the girl, heard his daughter complaining of her pant “missing from her body’’ while she was asleep.

The prosecutor said it took the tireless effort of the police detectives to track the defendant. He said the offence contravened Section 360 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol.11, Laws of Osun, 2003. The defendant pleaded not guilty to the count charge.

The defence counsel, Mr. Olatunbosun Oladipupo, prayed the court to grant his client bail in the most liberal terms.

The magistrate, however, refused the oral bail application, ordered the remand of the defendant and adjourned the case until March 12 for hearing of the bail application.