2 men know fate next year over laptop, phone theft

Two men, Michael Ibironke, 21, and Azeez Adedeji, 28, arraigned at the Ogba magistrate court in Lagos for allegedly stealing a laptop and a mobile phone, have been told to wait till next year to know their fate.

Ibironke, an electrician and Adedeji, a Bet9ja agent, both residing at No 8, Bode St., Agege, Lagos, are being tried for burglary, conspiracy and stealing.

The prosecutor, Victor Eruada, told the court on Tuesday that on July 7, 2018, the accused stole a laptop worth N150,000, a Nokia phone worth N3,500 and a N1,000 note, property of Michael Olusegun Adeleye.

Adeleye, a business development staffer with a microfinance firm, told the police that on July 6, 2018, he had come home with the company-issued laptop to complete an assignment. However, while working on the assignment in his room, he fell asleep. About 1am, he woke up. But as he was still feeling sleepy, he decided to put away the laptop inside its bag and placed it on another bag close to the window before he went back to bed.

When the case started in August, Eruada had told the court, “Adeleye woke up a few minutes after 5.30am. He went to the bag to pick up his phone, which was also in the bag, but to his surprise the bag was not where he kept it. He went to the window and saw that the net of the window had been torn. Immediately, he ran outside through the back door and noticed that someone was running through the door. He said he saw a stick lying close to the gutter with nails on it.”

The prosecutor said at the latest hearing on the case on Tuesday that the two accused persons gained access to the complainant’s room through the window and stole a laptop and a mobile phone kept in the house.

The accused, however, entered a not-guilty plea.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs M.I. Dan-Oni, adjourned the case till January 8, 2019 for hearing.