Man charged with theft

Godwin Job was on Monday charged with stealing before Justice Bayo Taiwo of the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan.

Job, alias Nifemi, was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),  Ibadan zonal office, on a two-count charge bordering on stealing.

The charge, according to the EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, was contrary to Section 399 (9) of the Criminal Code Law Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State.

A petitioner had alleged that sometime in August 2019, the defendant, who he had employed as an attendant at his hotel, informed him that his (petitioner’s) car had a flat tyre and offered to help him change it.

The petitioner stated he obliged him with his car key to enable him do so.

The petitioner further alleged that the suspect, rather than change the faulty tyre,  absconded with the car key and stole three Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards he had left in the car and withdrew a total sum of N1.7 million his bank accounts.

When the charges were read to Job, he pleaded not guilty.

The prosecution counsel, Lanre Abdulrasheed, asked the court for a trial date and prayed the court to remand the defendant accordingly.

But the defence counsel, Elume Francis, informed the court that he did not have a formal application for bail and prayed for a short date to enable him file the application.   Francis also prayed the court to remand the defendant in EFCC’s custody.

Justice Taiwo, after listening to the submission of both counsel, adjourned the case to August 20, 2020 for trial and ordered that the defendant be remanded in the EFCC custody.