Five casual workers, who allegedly stole 1,198 cartons of sugar valued at N17.9 million from their employer, were on Monday granted N500,000 bail each by an Ojo Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State.
The accused- Mohammed Idris,37; Chinedu Udegbulem,29; Ikechukwu Okafor,38; Joel Asodike,45 and Victor Kalu, 37-are all residents of Ojo area.
The accused persons, who entered a not-guilty plea, are facing a three-count charge of conspiracy, stealing and receiving stolen goods.
The magistrate, Mr A.A. Paul, ordered the accused persons to produce two sureties each as part of their bail conditions.
He also ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed and should show evidence of two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp. Uche Simon, had told the court that the accused and others now at large, committed the offences on Oct. 19 at Amuwo Odofin area of Apapa, Lagos.
He alleged that the accused persons with others now at large, ran off with 1,198 cartons of sugar worth N17.9 million being property of Dogans Sugar Nigeria Ltd.
Simon said that accused were supposed to have delivered the goods to some of the company’s customers, instead they delivered it to Kalu their co-conspirator, who knew the goods were stolen.
The prosecutor said that when the company discovered that the goods were not delivered to their customers, its officials quickly reported the case to the police and the accused were arrested.
Simon said that the offences contravened Sections 285, 326 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 285 prescribes three-year jail term for stealing, while Section 409 stipulates two years imprisonment for conspiracy, if convicted.
Paul adjourned the case till Nov. 11, 2017 for trial.