22-year-old cobbler in court over alleged theft

For allegedly stealing an 8KVA Elemax generator valued at N550,000, a 22-year-old cobbler, Nurudeen Ibrahim, on Friday appeared before a Yaba magistrates’ court in Lagos.

Ibrahim, a resident of Ebute-Metta area of Lagos, is facing a two-count charge on conspiracy and stealing.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Police Prosecutor, Sgt. Godwin Oriabure, told the court that the defendant committed the offences at 2.30a.m. on May 30, at No. 132, Murtala Mohammed Way, Ebute-Meta, Lagos.

According to him, the defendant and two other men broke into the house of the complainant, Mr Afolabi Odeleye, and stole the generator in his backyard.

Oriabure told the court that the complainant saw the defendant when he climbed over his fence after the theft to make a getaway.

The prosecutor alleged that the defendant and his accomplices, who were still at large, also vandalised the signal box at the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) station in Ebute Meta.

“My Lord, the defendant was arrested on suspicion of vandalising the railway signal box.

“He was arrested in the area right after the vandalism.

“We however, did not find anything on him, but the complainant, who happens to share a fence with the railway compound, recognised him as his generator thief.

“Investigation is still going on to recover the stolen generator and the signal box parts,” Oriabure said.

The offences contravened Sections 287 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).