Butcher
By Oluwatope Lawanson
Ikeja, June 14, 2018 (NAN) An Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Thursday admitted a butcher, Jimoh Yusuf, to a N400,000 bail after being charged with receiving a stolen vehicle and unlawfully being in possession of a stolen vehicle.
The magistrate, Mrs Y.O. Aje-Afunwa, ruled that the defendant must produce two sureties, who must show evidence of payment of three years tax to the Lagos State Government.
Yusuf, 36, a resident of Takaro, Idiaraba, in Mushin area of Lagos State, is standing trial on a two-count charge of receiving and being in possession of stolen vehicle.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp. Peter Nwangwu, told the court that Yusuf committed the offences on April 17, at 2.00 p.m. along Ogunmakin Street in Mushin.
He alleged that the defendant received a stolen Toyota Highlander car valued at N2 million, the property of one Aliyu Asimiju, knowing same to have been stolen by a gang.
Nwangwu said that on the said date, a team of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) detectives responded to a tip- off by an unknown persons.
He said that the tip-off led to arrest of the defendant, who was the receiver of the stolen vehicle.
“Yusuf was arrested with a stolen Toyota Highlander Jeep with Registration No. LSR 565 DM while he was negotiating with a buyer,” he said.
Nwangwu alleged that the defendant received the car from a gang of armed robbers led by one Dare, suspected to be a professional armed robber and now at large.
“The defendant committed the offences by conspiring with others still at large,” Nwangwu said.
He said that the offences contravened Sections 328 and 329 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) says that Section 328 provides a seven-year jail term for receiving stolen property.
The defendant, however, entered a not ‘guilty plea’ and his lawyer applied for his bail on liberal terms.
The case was adjourned until July 20 for mention. (NAN)
LAW/OIF/PAD
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Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonkwo/Peter Dada