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A Lagos Magistrate’s Court sitting in Igbosere has sentenced a security guard, Celestine Kyosu, to seven years’ imprisonment for allegedly stealing goods at a boutique in a mall on Prince Adelowo Adedeji Street, Lekki Phase 1.
Kyosu reportedly burgled the shop on June 18, 2018 around 3.30am when he was on duty and stole several clothes, bags and shoes estimated at about N2m.
It was gathered that Kyosu fled to Benue State after committing the crime, which was reported to the police at the Maroko Police Division.
Our correspondent gathered that the 28-year-old was traced to Benue where he was arrested and brought back to Lagos.
The 28-year-old was arraigned before Magistrate B. I. Bakare on two counts of stealing to which he pleaded guilty.
The police prosecutor, Sergeant Francisca Job, told the court that the convict had not succeeded in selling “the expensive items,” adding that they had been recovered.
She said, “The complainant, Mrs. Chisoma Ozioma, stated that she received a phone call from one of her salesgirls, Chinansa Nnaji, while she (Ozioma) was at home that her boutique had been tampered with.
“When she got there, she discovered that 29 assorted ladies’ clothes, six assorted handbags and 15 pairs of ladies’ shoes; all valued at N2m were stolen. She said she suspected the security man on duty, Kyosu, and that he was nowhere to be found.
“Police detectives have recovered the stolen items in Benue State where the defendant ran to. He confessed to the crime in his statement.”
The prosecutor told the court that the offence contravened sections 168(d) and 287(7) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Kyosu’s colleague, Michael Ofogor, told the police that he (Ofogor) had come to pass the night in the mall on the day the convict was on duty.
Ofogor, who is also a cleaner at the mall, explained that he could not find Kyosu at the duty post round 6am when he wanted to resume for work.
He said, “I was off duty on June 17, 2018, but I was in the mall because I sleep there at times. I work as a guard and cleaner in the mall. Earlier that day, around 6am, Kyosu had reported for work and I went to do my cleaning work after I handed over to him. I was supposed to take over from him at 6am the following day.
“In the midnight, he asked me to give him my phone to make a call. I left him and went to sleep when he was through with the call. When I woke up at 4am the next day, I saw his uniform at the back of the mall. I started calling his name, but he did not answer. I called him on the telephone; his line indicated it was switched off.”
Ofogor said Kyosu made away with his Automated Teller Machine card.
“While I was waiting for him to come back, the salesgirl came and opened the shop around 10am. She raised the alarm a few minutes later that some items had been stolen from the shop. I did not know anything about the stolen items,” he added.
In his ruling, the presiding magistrate, Bakare, sentenced Kyosu to seven years’ imprisonment without an option of fine.
Kyosu reportedly burgled the shop on June 18, 2018 around 3.30am when he was on duty and stole several clothes, bags and shoes estimated at about N2m.
It was gathered that Kyosu fled to Benue State after committing the crime, which was reported to the police at the Maroko Police Division.
Our correspondent gathered that the 28-year-old was traced to Benue where he was arrested and brought back to Lagos.
The 28-year-old was arraigned before Magistrate B. I. Bakare on two counts of stealing to which he pleaded guilty.
The police prosecutor, Sergeant Francisca Job, told the court that the convict had not succeeded in selling “the expensive items,” adding that they had been recovered.
She said, “The complainant, Mrs. Chisoma Ozioma, stated that she received a phone call from one of her salesgirls, Chinansa Nnaji, while she (Ozioma) was at home that her boutique had been tampered with.
“When she got there, she discovered that 29 assorted ladies’ clothes, six assorted handbags and 15 pairs of ladies’ shoes; all valued at N2m were stolen. She said she suspected the security man on duty, Kyosu, and that he was nowhere to be found.
“Police detectives have recovered the stolen items in Benue State where the defendant ran to. He confessed to the crime in his statement.”
The prosecutor told the court that the offence contravened sections 168(d) and 287(7) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Kyosu’s colleague, Michael Ofogor, told the police that he (Ofogor) had come to pass the night in the mall on the day the convict was on duty.
Ofogor, who is also a cleaner at the mall, explained that he could not find Kyosu at the duty post round 6am when he wanted to resume for work.
He said, “I was off duty on June 17, 2018, but I was in the mall because I sleep there at times. I work as a guard and cleaner in the mall. Earlier that day, around 6am, Kyosu had reported for work and I went to do my cleaning work after I handed over to him. I was supposed to take over from him at 6am the following day.
“In the midnight, he asked me to give him my phone to make a call. I left him and went to sleep when he was through with the call. When I woke up at 4am the next day, I saw his uniform at the back of the mall. I started calling his name, but he did not answer. I called him on the telephone; his line indicated it was switched off.”
Ofogor said Kyosu made away with his Automated Teller Machine card.
“While I was waiting for him to come back, the salesgirl came and opened the shop around 10am. She raised the alarm a few minutes later that some items had been stolen from the shop. I did not know anything about the stolen items,” he added.
In his ruling, the presiding magistrate, Bakare, sentenced Kyosu to seven years’ imprisonment without an option of fine.
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