2 Airtel Staff Bolt Away With N29m Recharge Cards

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Two staff of a communication company, Airtel Nigeria Limited, have been accused of stealing recharge cards valued at N29 million.

The suspects, Gibson Osah and Chiadu Okoro, now at large, were alleged to have stolen the company’s pin numbers for airtime of N1000, N500 and N200 denominations and giving them to the trio of Akomolafe Babatunde, 37, Wilson Obi, 35 and Seun Oguntade, 32.

The receivers were arrested and they are currently standing trial before an Ebute-Metta Chief Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, Southwest, Nigeria, on one count charge of receiving the stolen recharge cards from the two staff of the communication company.

The charge against the three defendants reads: that you Akomolafe Babatunde, Wilson Obi and Seun Oguntade and two others now at large, in December 2010, at Airtel Network Limited on L2, Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did receive stolen Airtel recharge cards in denominations of N1,000, N500 and N200 valued at N29 million, from Gibson Osah and Chiadu Okoro now at large, property of Airtel Network Limited, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Secton Of the Criminal Code Cap. C17, Vol.2, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2003.”

The prosecuting police officer, Mr. Jack Asuquo, an. Assistant Superintendent of Police, said the company was able to discover the theft after it audited its account of airtime and that those who are now at large were staff of the company allegedly responsible for the theft.

The three persons pleaded not guilty to the charge.

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They were granted bail by the court presided over by Mr. Abolarinwa Tubosun, in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in like sum.

The magistrate also ordered that one of the sureties must be a community leader and the other must be a blood relation and they must show to the court evidence of paying three years tax to Lagos state government, evidence of livelihood and must be residents of the magisterial district.

He ordered that all these must be verified by the court’s prosecutor.

The matter has been adjourned till 31 August, 2011 for mention.

—Paul Sanusi

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