Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja has ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, to arrest three businessmen, Tunde Yusuf, Adebayo Dayo and Michael Obisiji, and produce them before the court over alleged stealing of N19.2 million.
The Judge ordered the arrest of the three defendants following their absence to take their plea in a charge filed against them by the IGP through the Force CID, Alagbon, Lagos.
The prosecution counsel, Mr. Morufu Animashaun had in a suit marked LD/13338C/2020, alleged that the defendants stole 245 cartons of cosmetics valued at N19, 214,120.
The police said the defendants and others now at large, sometime, in March, 2020 at Apapa Tin-Can Port, stole 245 cartons of cosmetics valued at N19, 214,120, property of one Remiginus Okafor.
However, at the resumed hearing, the prosecution counsel, Animashaun told the court that the whereabouts of the defendants are unknown.
Animashaun told the court that, “we have not been able to get the defendants. The investigation team has been transferred out of jurisdiction due to insecurity in the country.”
The prosecution had filed two counts bordering on conspiracy to commit felony to wit: stealing and stealing against the trio, Yusuf, Dayo and Obisiji.
Animashaun said their offences contravene section 287(5) and 411 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015.
However, due to the absence of the defendants to take their plea, Justice Abike-Fadipe directed the police to arrest them before the next adjourned date. She subsequently adjourned the matter to February 8, 2023 for arraignment of defendants.
(Guardian)