9 men in court over alleged stealing, conversion of fund

The police on Friday arraigned nine accused persons in an Ado-Ekiti Magistrates’ Court over alleged stealing and conversion of fund.

The defendants; Bamisile Oluwapelumi (24), Oki Olawale (24), Jegede Adekunle (23), Ayodele Tosin (24), Adeniyi Kehinde (25), Joseph James (25), Oluwadare Julius (24), Olufemi Olawale (24) and Abdullahi Shaibu (36) are facing a two-count charge of stealing and conversion of fund.

The prosecutor, Insp Johnson Okunade, told the court that the defendants committed the offenses between Jan. 1 and Jan. 31, at Captain Cook Eatery in Ado-Ekiti.

Okunade alleged that the defendants conspired among themselves to commit felony, to wit stealing.

He also alleged that the defendants, staff of Captain Cook Eatery, fraudulently and unlawfully converted the sum of N1.5 million belonging to Captain Cook Nigeria Limited to their own use.

He noted that the offenses contravened Sections 383(1) (2) (a) and (4) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012, and punishable under Section 390 (6) (8) (b) (c) and (9) of the same law.

The prosecutor asked the court for an adjournment to enable him study the case file and present his witnesses.

The defendants pleaded not guilty.

The defendants’ counsel, Mr Olawumi Olowolafe, urged the court to grant them bail and promised that they would not jump bail.

The Magistrate, Mrs Titilayo Ogunsina, granted bail to the defendants in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties each in like sum.

She adjourned the case until March 18 for hearing.