Lagos: Two sales attendants accused of stealing N1.1m face trial

By Sodiq Adelakun

Two sales attendants, Jamiu Babatunde, aged 22, and Bright Paul, aged 27, have been accused of stealing N1.1 million from their employer.

The alleged theft took place on Tuesday and the defendants appeared before the Ogudu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos to face charges of conspiracy and stealing. Both individuals pleaded not guilty to the charges.

According to the prosecutor, Insp Bassey Sunday, the defendants committed the offenses between July 3 and September 14 at Plot 12, Block 5, Ogudu GRA Phase II, Ogudu, Lagos.

Sunday said that the defendants conspired and stole N1,150,000, realised from the day’s sales of products in the shop of the complainant.

He said that the money belonged to one Mr Emmanuel Olugbenga, the owner of a provisions store at Ogudu, GRA.

“The complainant, who had employed the defendants early this year, noticed some discrepancies in the account book of the shop.

“He noticed in the month of July that stocks in the shop had drastically dropped and decided to reconcile the accounts and thereby uncovered the theft that had been going on by his employees,” Sunday said.

The prosecutor said that when the two employees were arrested and quizzed by the police, they could not give any satisfactory explanation as to reasons for the shortage of stocks in the shop.

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

The Magistrate, Mrs M.O. Tanimola granted the defendants N100,000 bail each, and two sureties each in like sum.

She ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed and their addresses must be verified by the court.

Tanimola subsequently adjourned the case until Dec. 6 for mention.