A security guard, Ese Edet, has been charged in the Yaba Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, December 20, 2022 for allegedly stealing 180 chairs from a Redeemed Christian church in Lagos State, valued at N1.4 million.
According to information obtained by our correspondent, Edet worked for the Bon Douglas Security Company in the Surulere neighborhood of Itire, Lagos State but was assigned to guard the Redeemed Christian Church at Ogunaike Street, Palm Groove, where he broke into, stole 180 white plastic chairs, for the purpose of selling.
PUNCH Metro also learned that the employee’s manager, Monday Oluwareghan, reported the incident to the somolu police after learning that of the 220 chairs in the church, just a handful were in use.
However, the defendant admitted throughout the investigation that he had only sold five chairs to an unidentified Mallam.
The police prosecutor, Inspector Godwin Oriabure, further informed the court that the defendant committed the crime at No. 20 Ogunaike Street, Palmgroove, in the Somolu region of the state, between January and December 16, 2022.
He stated that the offense violates Section 280(a) of the Lagos State Criminal Law of Nigeria, 2015.
The charge read in part, “That you Ese Edet, between January to 16th December, 2022 at No 20 Ogunaike street, Palmgroove, Somolu in Yaba Magisterial District being a security guard at the Redeemed Christian church, Palmgroove, Shomolu did steal 180 chairs from the said church valued at the sum of One Million Four Hundred and Forty Thousand Naira, (N1.440 million) property of the Redeemed Christian church of God, Palmgroove and thereby committed an offense punishable under Sections 280(a) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
Meanwhile, to the one count charge, the defendant entered a not guilty plea.
The magistrate, A.O. Salawu, then granted the defendant bail in the amount of N200,000 with two dependable sureties in the same amount.
Trial for the case has been postponed until January 26, 2023.
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