Security man jailed for stealing employer’s N6m Lexus Jeep

Paul Iyoghojie

A Security man, Bala Bullum, 30, has been sentenced to two years of imprisonment by an Igbosere Magistrate Court, Lagos for stealing his employer’s N6m Lexus Jeep and sold it off at a give away price of N1.5m.

The security man was also accused of carting away his employer’s appliances and refrigerator valued at N19.1m and and sold them off.

The convict, according to the police, committed the crime between December, 2016 and January, 2017 at his employer’s residence at Providence Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos after his employer, Mr Nehmtallah Bov Khalil, a Lebanese left him at home on trust and traveled abroad.

The convict was sentenced by Senior Magistrate O.Kusanu after the convict pleaded guilty to the three count charges preferred against him by the police at the Maroko Division, Lekki, Lagos and the facts of the case presented before the court by the police prosecutor, Edward Abiodun.

Police alleged that the journey to jail started for Bullum when he stole his employer’s N6m Lexus Jeep with Reg.No AKD 300 BP and appliances and a refrigerator valued at N19.1m and escaped after his employer left him at home and traveled abroad to spend one month.

When the victim returned, he discovered that his jeep and properties had been carted away and his security guard was nowhere to be found and he reported the matter to the DPO in charge of Maroko Division, SP Abdulmajid Ali.

Following the report, Ali swung into action with his men and launched a manhunt for the arrest of the convict and his efforts paid off in December, 2017 when he arrested the convict in Victoria Island, following a tip off.

During Investigation, the convict confessed to the crime that he stole the jeep and the appliances and sold them to a buyer he did not know his name at Idumota area on Lagos Island.

He led the Police to Idumota to look for the buyer, but the convict could not identified the alleged buyer of the stolen properties.

When asked of the money he realized from the sales of the stolen properties, he said that he spent all the money to enjoy himself.

Bullum was charged to court for stealing, offence punishable under sections 411, 287 (7) and 410 of the criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

He pleaded guilty to the charges despite his lawyer’s advice to him that he should not plead guilty to the crime and Magistrate Kusanu sentenced him to two years of imprisonment without an options of fine.