‘I didn’t steal N6.2m diesel’

A 47-year-old man, Sunday Ajisafe, has told a Lagos chief magistrate’s court, sitting at Igbosere, that he did not steal 33,000 litres of automated gasoline oil, popularly called diesel.

Ajisafe and others now at large, according to the prosecuting police officer, Barrister Morufu Animashaun, of the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence (FCIID) AlagbonIkoyi, Lagos, had sometime in April, 2017 received the said petroleum product from Waleola Golden Venture Nigeria Limited, located at Aswani, along Osolo Way, Isolo, Lagos, under false pretence.

The accused was charged for conspiracy, obtaining good under false pretence and stealing. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and challenged the prosecutor to prove the case.

Following his not-guilty plea, the presiding magistrate, Mrs A. O. Komolafe, admitted him to bail in the sum of N5 million with two sureties in the like sum.

The magistrate also ordered that the sureties must be landed property owners with evidence of three years tax payment, with a sworn affidavit of means that must be verified by the prosecutor.

The magistrate, while adjourning the matter till January 30, 2018 for mention, ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody pending fulfilment of the bail conditions.