22nd October, 2022
By Paul Iyoghojie
Two fleeing businessmen accused of stealing four cars have been taken into custody by the police and later arraigned at a Lagos Magistrate’s Court for stealing.
Anthony Azuoma, 51, and Dominic Abiose, 38 were said to be on the run since year 2020 after being accused of stealing four cars belonging to Ude Jude and Kelvin Jude.
Operatives of the Force Criminal Investigation Department, FCID, of the Nigeria Police, Alagbon Close, Ikoyi, Lagos, arrested the accused.
Azuoma and Abiose have been accused of stealing Kia Sorento SUV 2006 model, two Peugeot 407 and Nissan Versa 2006 model, all valued at N10,000,000.
The cars were said to be placed in their care to help the complainants drive them to Abuja.
The accused were said to have instead of driving the cars to Abuja, diverted them to another destination and were not seen again.
The police said when the complainants waited for some days without seeing the suspects and the cars, they suspected foul play and petitioned the Inspector General of Police, IGP about the matter who referred the case to the FCID, Lagos for proper investigation.
Following the directives, the Police gave a marching order to a crack team to fish out the suspects and the police team tracked and arrested the suspects in Badagry area of Lagos, Nigeria.
The suspects were charged before the Tinubu Magistrate’s Court, Lagos Island, Lagos, on a two count charges bordering on conspiracy and stealing.
Police Counsel, Amedu Adoga informed the court in the charge marked P/24/2022 that the defendants committed the offence in March, 2020 in Lagos, Nigeria.
Adoga told the court that the two complainants entrusted the four cars in the care of the defendants to help them drive them to Abuja from Lagos but that the accused betrayed the trust reposed in them by the complainants and drove the cars to a different destination and sold them and escaped before thy were arrested.
Adoga said the offences, the defendants committed were punishable under sessions 411 and 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and Magistrate O.A Abioye granted them N5m bail each with two sureties in like sum.
Abioye adjourned the case till 29 November, 2022 for mention and ordered that the accused be detained at the Ikoyi Correctional Facility till they perfected theIR bail conditions.