FILE: Police arraign 2 serial car burglars

By Paul Iyoghojie

The Police at the Maroko Division, Lekki, Lagos have arraigned two men for serial vehicle burglary in Lekki and Victoria Island in Lagos.

The two accused were Mukaila Atanda, 36, and Sunny Kamuli, 35.

They specialised in burglarising vehicles, the police said.

The suspects were accused of breaking into vehicles parked at supermarkets, church and events centres at Lekki Phase I and Victoria Island areas of Lagos to steal the properties inside.

Also charged with them was Agu Chikezie, a 38 year-old trader at the Computer Village, Ikeja.

He was charged with receiving from the suspects, stolen properties valued at N500,000.

Police alleged that Atanda and Kamuli, on 3 June 2020 stormed Angle Villa premises at Lekki Phase I and burgled a vehicle belonging to Onyeabor Okafor.

Police said the suspects stole the victim’s bag containing laptop and other valuable items worth N252,000 from the vehicle.

Also, on 25 June 2020 the suspects allegedly smashed the side glass of a Toyota Prado SUV with registration number AKD 160 FT parked by the owner, Ogbeide Osazuwa, at the DHL office premises at Lekki Phase I to steal an Apple laptop valued at N600,000.

Police said the suspects on the same day went to 38 Sinari Daranijo Street, Victoria Island to break into a Hyundai SUV GEE 300 AA parked by the owner, Oluwaseun Ogunnaike.

The suspects, according to police, stole from the vehicle, a bag containing HP laptop valued at N600,000, and escaped to Computer Village at Ikeja with the stolen items to sell to a trader, Agu Chikezie.

Following the complaints by the victims, a team led by SGT Ewa Ewa Abam swung into action and arrested the two suspects at a hideout in Lagos.

The suspects, thereafter, led the police to the Computer Village to arrest Chikezie, the alleged receiver of the stolen properties.

All the suspects were charged before the Igbosere Chief Magistrate’s Court on five counts bordering on stealing and receiving stolen properties.

Police Counsel, Inspector Cyriacus Osuji told the Court in charge N0. C/70Q/2020 that the accused persons vandalized parked vehicles at Lekki and Victoria Island, Lagos to steal properties worth N1,404,000.

He said they sold the stolen items to a trader, Agu Chikezie for N500,000 at the Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos.

Osuji said the offences, the accused persons committed were punishable under sections 411, 287, 350 and 328(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Their counsel, Barr. Okedi Emmanuel prayed the court to grant them bail in the most liberal conditions, promising that they would not jump bail if granted,

The presiding Magistrate admitted them to bail in the sum of N200,000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

The Magistrate adjourned the case till 29 July for mention.