26-year-old man dragged to court for selling employer’s bus

A 26-year-old man, Soji Owowa, had been arraigned at a Yaba Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly stealing his employer’s minibus worth N3.2 million.

The suspect appeared before Magistrate Patrick Nwaka on Thursday, August 10 and was charged with two counts of theft. Owowa was alleged to have sold the N3.2m bus for N550,000.

The prosecutor, Thomas Nurudeen, holding a brief for Haruna Magaji told the court that the defendant committed the crime on March 30, 2023, in the Lekki area of Lagos State.

He further disclosed that the defendant ran away with the minibus, with number plate EPE 283 YG, to Ibadan where he planned with his friend and sold it without the consent of his employer, Why Worry Transport and Logistics Limited.

The 26-year-old was alleged to have collected N89,000 while his friend, who is still at large, took the rest of the money.

According to Nurudeen, the offences contravened and are punishable under Sections 411, and 287 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State Nigeria 2015.

The charge read in part; “That you, Soji Owowa, and others now at large on March 30, 2023, in the Lekki area of Lagos State, in the Lagos Magisterial District did conspire to commit felony to wit: stealing and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 411 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State Nigeria 2015.

“That you, Soji Owowa, and others now at large on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned magisterial district did steal a minibus with number plate EPE 283 YG valued at N3.2m, property of Why Worry Transport and Logistics Limited and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State Nigeria 2015.”

Soji, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges. Following his not-guilty plea, Nwaka admitted him to bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum. He also adjourned the case till December 4, 2023, for mention.