2 hotel assistants face N2.1m theft charge

Two hotel assistants — Sherifat Jimoh, 23; and Emmanuel Odion, 38; were on Wednesday brought before an Ejigbo Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing N2.1 million from their employer.

The defendants, whose residential addresses were not provided, are standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

The prosecutor, Insp Benedict Aigbokhan, told the court that the defendants committed the offences on May 16, at Aso Rock Hotel and Suites, Abaranje, Lagos.

Aigbokhan alleged that the first defendant, Jimoh, who was a bar attendant at the hotel, stole the sum of N900, 000 being proceeds from drinks.

He said that the second defendant, Odion, also a sales assistant, converted the sum of N1.2 million made from sales to personal use.

The prosecutor said that the total sum of N2.1 million stolen by the defendants belonged to the complainant, Aso Rock Hotel and Suites.

He said the offences contravened sections 287(7) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 287(7) provides seven years imprisonment, while Section 411 provides two years imprisonment.

The duo pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them by the police.

The Magistrate, Miss K.A. Ariyo, granted each of the defendants bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties each in like sum.

She, however, said that the sureties must be gainfully employed and one of the sureties must be a blood relation of the defendant.

The magistrate also ordered that the sureties must show evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State government.

Ariyo adjourned the case until June 20, for mention.