A 27-year-old accounts officer, Sunday Amakwe, who allegedly stole his employer’s N1.2 million in his custody, was on Thursday hauled up before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.
The accused was arraigned before Magistrate J.O. Awope on a charge of stealing.
Amakwe, who resides at Mushin area of Lagos, however, pleaded not guilty and was admitted to a bail of N300,000 with two sureties in like sum.
Awope said the sureties should be gainfully employed and also show evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
According to the prosecutor, Insp. Ezekiel Ayorinde, the accused committed the offences on November 2010 at Ilupeju, Lagos, when he stole N1.2 million, property of TSL Marine Company.
Ayorinde said the accused, who was in possession of the company’s key to the safe, took advantage of it to steal the money.
“The accused being the company accounts officer stole a cash of N1.2million and when the company discovered that the money had been stolen, the accused confessed that he diverted it to personal use,” he said.
The offence contravened Section 287 (7) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the section provides seven years for stealing by clerks and servants.
The case was adjourned until Oct. 18 for mention.