The Police at the Ikoyi Division, Lagos have arrested two security men who allegedly betrayed the trust reposed in them by their employer, Courtney Michael Partnership Nigeria Limited and stole its property valued at $90,792.00 equivalent to N54,475,000.
Police alleged that the incident occurred on 6 June, 2022 at about 11.20 pm at 5, Rasaq Okoya Street, Ikoyi, Lagos when the security men, Selbol Vonyjen, 44 and Felix Akindeji, 25, stole their employer’s almond cable, steel pipes, pumping machine, lift equipment, welding machine and other building materials all valued $90,792 and abandoned their duty post and fled.
Following the development, the complainant reported the incident to the Divisional Police Officer, DPO in charge of Ikoyi Division, Ikoyi, CSP Tijani Mustapha N’abba who swiftly swung into action and gave a marching order to his crack team led by Inspector Tope Ijatuyi to fish out the fleeing suspects anywhere they might be hiding with the stolen property.
Following the directives, the police team, after about a few days of intelligence gathering, tracked the suspects to a hideout in Lagos and arrested them.
Vonyjen from Plateau State and Akindeji were charged before the Tinubu Magistrate’s Court, Lagos on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing.
Police prosecuting Counsel, Koti Aondohemba told the Court in the charge marked L/37/2022 that the defendants stole their employer’s property valued at N54,475,200, fled and abandoned their duty post before they were arrested at a hideout in Lagos through tracking.
He said the offences the defendants committed were punishable under sessions 411 and 287(7) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and Magistrate T.A Babalola granted them N1,000,000 bail each with two sureties each in like sum.
Babalola adjourned the case till 27 August, 2022 for mention and ordered that the defendants be detained at the Ikoyi correctional facility till they perfected their bail conditions.
