29th January, 2023
By Paul Iyoghojie
The Alade Division of the Lagos State Police Command in Shomolu has arrested a motorcyclist, Hammed Aremu and charged him before a Magistrate’s Court for allegedly stealing the Bajaj motorcycle entrusted in his care by the complainant, Mariam Anifowoshe for a hire purchase transaction.
Police alleged that trouble started for the defendant when the complainant entrusted the motorcycle in his care for hire purchase purpose for N240,000 with the agreement to be paying the sum of N10,000 every week till he would complete the payment for the motorcycle, he paid only two instalments, disappeared with the motorcycle and switched off his phone.
Police said that when the complainant waited for months without seeing him and his phone was not going through, She reported the matter to the Divisional Police Officer, DPO in charge of Somolu Division, Lagos who directed his crack team led by Omini Sunday to hunt down the fleeing motorcyclist and recover the bike from him.
Following the directives, the Police swung into action and after days of intelligence gathering tracked the defendant to a hideout in Lagos and arrested him.
Aremu, a resident of 3, Zacheus Olopade Street, Oke Ira, Ogba, Lagos was charged before the Yaba Magistrate’s Court, Lagos on a one-count charge of stealing.
Police Prosecuting Counsel, Magaji Haruna told the Court in the charge that the defendant committed the offence on 10 April 2022 at 7, Anifowoshe Street, Shomolu, Lagos.
Haruna informed the Court that the complainant entrusted the motorcycle in the defendant’s care for a hire purchase transaction for N240,000 to enable him to own a motorcycle after completing the Payment, but that instead, the defendant betrayed the trust the complainant reposed in him and disappeared with the motorcycle for ten months before he was arrested through tracking.
Haruna said the offence, the defendant committed was punishable under session 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State,2015.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge and Magistrate, A.Y Adefope granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.
Adefope adjourned the case till 17 February 2023 for mention and ordered that the defendant be detained at the Ikoyi correctional facility till he perfected the bail conditions.