21st June, 2017
Paul Iyoghojie
An 18-year old security guard, Abudul Maliq Tijani attached to the Trinity House of God Church, Victoria Island, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria has been sentenced to three months imprisonment with hard labour by an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court Lagos for stealing four laptops valued at N570, 000 from the church.
The convict stole the laptops two days after he was employed.
The convict was sentenced by Magistrate O.G Oghre after he pleaded guilty to the one-count charge of stealing preferred against him by the police at the Bar Beach Division, Victoria Island.
The police stated that Tijani entered the media office of the Trinity House of God Church with a stolen key from the bundles of keys belonging to the church and used the key to open the door and steal the laptops and use a ladder to jump over a fence.
The police said that while the convict was escaping with the stolen items, some policemen attached to a nearby bank who suspected his movement challenged him and demanded to know what he was carrying in his bag.
The police found four laptops inside the bag and when asked how he came about the laptops, he confessed that he stole them from the church.
Following his confession, the police handed over the convict to the church members who sent a distress call to the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in charge of Bar Beach Division, Victoria Island, Lagos, CSP Olusegun Ajamolaya.
Ajamolaya dispatched a team led by Ganiyu Adekunle to the scene to arrest the suspect and brought him to the station with the stolen laptops.
During investigation, the convicts confessed that he stole the laptops to sell and used the proceeds to rent a house.
He also confessed that he intentionally secured a security job with his employer to enable him steal property anywhere he was posted to work.
The convict was arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos on a count charge of stealing, an offence punishable under section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The convict pleaded guilty to the charge and Magistrate Oghre sentenced him to three months imprisonment with hard labour without an option of fine.