16th March, 2019
By Paul Iyoghojie
A 39-year old man, Victor Chigom has been arrested and arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate Court for allegedly stealing four bottles of blue label wine valued at N288,000 at Damy Supermarket, Agungi, Lekki, Lagos.
A Police source alleged that the accused, a resident of Awoyaya, Ibeju Lekki, Lagos was ordered arrested by the Divisional Police Officer, DPO in charge of Ilasan Division. Lekki, Lagos, CSP Oyinye Onwuamaegbu following a complaint by the owner of the Supermarket, Mr Ayeh Daniel.
Chigom was charged before the Igbosere Magistrate Court on a one count of felony to wit, stealing.
Police Counsel, Reuben Solomon told the court in charge No M/16/2019 that the accused committed the offence on 1 March, 2019 at Damy Supermarket in Lekki, Lagos.
Solomon informed the court that the accused started stealing at the Damy Supermarket in December, 2018 till March, 2019 before nemesis caught up with him.
He said that the accused would enter the supermarket on the pretext of buying items and in the process, would cleverly steal a bottle of blue label wine and hide it in his clothes and escaped.
Solomon said that when the management of the supermarket noticed in February, 2019 that they were making loses in sales on blue label wine, they played the CCTV cameras where they saw that the accused was the one who had been stealing the wine and they directed all security men to be on the alert for him.
He said that nemesis, however, caught up with the accused on 1 March, 2019 when he entered the supermarket again to steal wine and was caught by the security men on duty and they invited the police to arrest him.
He stated that during investigation, the accused allegedly confessed to the alleged crime that he had stolen four bottles of wine at the supermarket successfully, unknown to him that CCTV cameras had captured him.
Solomon said that the offences committed was punishable under section 287 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge and Magistrate A.M Davies granted him bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties.
Davies adjourned the case till 28 March, 2019 for mention and ordered that the defendant be kept at the Ikoyi Prisons, Lagos till he fulfilled the bail conditions.