A Lagos State Chief Magistrate’s Court in Tinubu has remanded four men in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) accused by the police of stealing a Toyota 4runner car valued at N12m.
Senior Magistrate Ayoku Gbajumo ordered that the defendants, Wale Odunlami, Salami Isiaka, Tajudeen Yekini and Nurudeen Ogunmola, be kept behind bars pending the perfection of their bail conditions.
The defendants were arraigned before the court by the Police Force Criminal Investigation Department ForceCID on a four-count charge of conspiracy, stealing and receiving stolen goods.
The police prosecutor, Morufu Animashaun, told the court that one of the first defendants, Odunlami, conspired with others to steal a grey Toyota 4runner vehicle with chassis no. JTEZUI7RX8K0063731, valued at N12 million, on December 17, 2024, at Orile-Agege, Lagos.
Animashaun also informed the court that the other three defendants, Salami Isiaka, Tajudeen Yekini and Nurudeen Ogunmola, received the stolen vehicle from Odunlami, knowing fully that the car was stolen.
He claimed that the stolen vehicle belonged to one Jiten Khemani.
The prosecutor further maintained that the alleged ignoble acts of the four men violated sections 411, 287, and 328 (1) & (2)(b) of the Criminal Law, Cap. C17 Vol. 3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015. And punishable under the same laws.
However, all the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge after the court registrar read it to them.
Based on their not-guilty plea, Animashaun urged the court to fix a trial date and also remand the defendants in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services pending the court’s decision.
But, the defence lawyers, Ayo Opade and Semire Onifade, orally applied for their clients’ bail.
Senior Magistrate Gbajumo, in her ruling, granted each defendant bail in the sum of N1 million with two responsible sureties, who must be residents of Lagos State.
The court also directed that the surety present evidence of three years of tax payment and means of livelihood.
Before adjourning the case to March 10, the Magistrate ordered that the prosecutor verify the bail conditions.
