18th August, 2018
Paul Iyoghojie
A Lagos businessman and importer, Chukwudi Ifechiba has dragged his three female sales managers before a Lagos Magistrates Court for allegedly selling N22m goods in his warehouse and converted the proceeds to their use.
Police identified the three female sales managers as Onyinyechi Olugbo 19; Cynthian Anago, 32 and Ogechi Ibeh, 27.
Also arraigned with them for allegedly receiving parts of the stolen goods were Lukman Uthman, 38 and Chizoba Anago.
A police source alleged that the complainant reported the alleged fraud to the Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP in charge of Area A Command, Lagos Island who directed his team led by Inspector Yeriman Abdulralman to arrest the suspects and recover the stolen goods.
The five accused were charged before an Igbosere Magistrate Court on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing and receiving stolen goods.
Police counsel, Reuben Solomon informed the Court in charged No M/53/2018 that the accused persons committed the offence between 2015 and June, 2018 at 18, Obun Eko Street, Lagos Island, Lagos.
Solomon told the court that the three female sales managers betrayed the trust reposed in them by their employer and connived to sell off their employer’s goods in his warehouse valued of N22m and allegedly shared the proceeds instead of remitting the money into their employer’s account.
He said that the complainant uncovered the fraud when he took stocks of the goods in his warehouse.
Solomon said the offences committed were punishable under sections 411, 287 (7) and 328 (1) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2018.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the alleged crime and Magistrate A. M. Davies granted them bail in the sum of N1m each with two sureties each in like sum.
Davies ordered that the defendants be kept at the Ikoyi and Kirikiri prisons respectively till they perfected their bail conditions and adjourned the case till 17 September, 2018 for mention.