CYRIACUS IZUEKWE
Two young men, Olamide Damilola, aged 20 years, and Johnson Adeogun, aged 21 years, have been arraigned before the Magistrate Court sitting in Ogba, Ikeja Magisterial District, for allegedly breaking into a residence and stealing solar batteries, electrical cables and generator valued at Eleven Million, Seven Hundred and Seventy Thousand Naira, N11,770,000.00, at Orile Agege area of Lagos State.
The defendants, Olamide Damilola ‘M’ and Johnson Adeogun ‘M’, were brought before Magistrate Mr. L.A. Owolabi on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, burglary and stealing, contrary to the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015.
Prosecutor SP Josephine Iykayare told the Magistrate Court sitting in Ogba that Olamide Damilola and Johnson Adeogun and one other at large committed the offences at about 0200hrs at No. 52, Ota Road, Orile Agege, in the Lagos Magisterial District.
According to the charge sheet marked CR/NO: …/2026 – Commissioner of Police Vs Olamide Damilola and Johnson Adeogun, prepared by Elere Division, Agege, and approved by CSP Akindele Fatai, SDD, District Prosecutor’s Office, Ogba, Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, the charges are as follows:
Count one alleged that Olamide Damilola and Johnson Adeogun and one other at large, at about 0200hrs at No. 52, Ota Road, Orile Agege, did conspired amongst themselves to commit felony to wit stealing and thereby committed an offence contrary and punishable under Section 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.
Count two alleged that Olamide Damilola and Johnson Adeogun and one other at large, on same date, time and place in the aforesaid Magisterial District, did break and enter into the residence of one Serif Abdulsalam ‘M’ to commit felony and thereby committed an offence contrary and punishable under Section 307(1c), (2) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.
Count three alleged that Olamide Damilola and Johnson Adeogun and one other at large, on same date, time and place in the aforesaid Magisterial District, did steal Two Tubular Solar Batteries valued Ten Million Naira, N10,000,000, House Electrical Cables valued One Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira, N1,400,000 and one Generator valued Three Hundred and Seventy Thousand Naira, N370,000, totaling Eleven Million, Seven Hundred and Seventy Thousand Naira, N11,770,000, property of one Serif Abdulsalam ‘M’ and thereby committed an offence contrary and punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.
SP Josephine Iykayare told the court that complainant Serif Abdulsalam reported at Elere Division, Agege, that in the early hours of the day at about 2am, some unknown persons broke into his residence at , Ota Road, Orile Agege, and carted away his two tubular solar batteries worth N10m, house electrical cables worth N1.4m and generator worth N370,000.
Following the report, police operatives from Elere Division, Agege, led by IPO Inspr. Adebowale Adeniran, swung into action and arrested Olamide Damilola and Johnson Adeogun in connection with the burglary, while one other suspect is still at large.
When the charge was read to Olamide Damilola and Johnson Adeogun before Magistrate Mr L.A. Owolabi at about 12.45pm, they pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge.
Magistrate Mr. L.A. Owolabi granted them bail with sureties who must show evidence of means of livelihood and tax payment.
Mr L.A. Owolabi ordered that each defendant must provide responsible sureties with verifiable addresses within Lagos State, who must show evidence of means of livelihood and evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government, and must produce valid means of identification to the court registrar.
Pending the perfection of their bail conditions, Magistrate Mr L.A. Owolabi ordered that Olamide Damilola and Johnson Adeogun be *remanded in the Correctional Centre at Kirikiri Town, Lagos, pending the perfection of bail conditions.
The Magistrate adjourned the matter for mention and trial at Ogba.
The court emphasized that Olamide Damilola and Johnson Adeogun are presumed innocent until proven guilty by the court of competent jurisdiction as guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
If found guilty under Section 411, Section 307 and Section 287, they are liable to imprisonment as prescribed by law.