The Lagos State Police Command on Friday arraigned a man, Jackson Clinton, before a Magistrate’s Court sitting in Yaba, Lagos State, for allegedly burgling and stealing his employer’s property in the Gbagada area of the state.
The 24-year-old defendant was arraigned on two counts bordering on burgling and stealing before Magistrate Linda Balogun.
The defendant was charged with stealing his employer’s horsepower air conditioner worth N300,000; 10 schoolbags worth N35,500; three bags of clothes worth N88,000; three stabilisers worth N120,000; four compressors worth N200,000, expensive wines among other things.
The police prosecutor, Çhekwube Okeh, holding a brief for Haruna Magaji told the court that the defendant committed the offence in September 2023 at Plot 15 Ramitu Oluwakemu Street, Medina Estate, Ifako, in the Gbagada area of the state.
She said one Igbaboa Dolly had hired the defendant to be her sales boy. The defendant, however, broke into the store through the roof and with the help of his accomplices, made away with all her properties in the middle of the night.
The prosecutor said the offences contravened and are contrary to Sections 309 and 287(7) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
The charges read in part, “That you, Jackson Clinton, sometime in September 2023 at Plot 15 Ramotu Oluwakemi Street, Medina Estate, Ifako Gbagada Lagos, in the Yaba Magisterial District did unlawfully break into the store of Mrs Igbaboa Dolly through the ceiling to commit a felony and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 309 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.”
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him.
Magistrate Balogun admitted him to bail in the sum of N500,000 with two responsible sureties in like sum, following his plea.
She adjourned the case till December 15 for mention.
Dolly, after the court sitting in disgust of the defendant’s plea, disclosed that she paid the defendant N60,000 every month and was used to treating him as well as her employee. However, she expected him to confess to the crime in court, stating that if he did, she would have withdrawn the case.
“This boy is heartless. I pay him N60,000 every month and I treat him well too. I expected him to confess to the crime here and I would have withdrawn the case and allowed him to go but he just said he is not guilty.
“Now, how will you perfect these bail terms?” she asked facing the defendant.
