For allegedly breaking into a school to steal phones, two persons, Qudus Bello and Teslim Mukartdas, were on Monday brought before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.
Bello, 19, a tailor, and Mukartdas, 15, a pupil, who are both residents of Oshodi, Lagos, were arraigned before the magistrate, Mrs. B.O. Osunsanmi, on four counts of conspiracy, burglary, damage and stealing.
The duo, however, pleaded not guilty and were admitted to a bail of N500,000 each, with two sureties each in like sum.
Osunsanmi said the sureties should be gainfully employed with an evidence of two-year tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
The accused committed the offences on April 29, 2018 at Oshodi Junior High School, Oshodi, Lagos, the Police Prosecutor, ASP Ezekiel Ayorinde, told the court.
He said the accused damaged the school’s ceiling, property of Lagos State Government.
“The accused broke the ceiling to gain access into the vice-principal’s office to steal five phones, the values of which were yet to be ascertained.
“Mukartdas, a pupil at the school, came with Bello at night to steal the phones that were seized from some students and kept in the VP’s office.
“They also drank all the soft drinks in the VP’s refrigerator,” Ayorinde alleged.
Ayorinde said the following morning, the school received a tip-off from one of the pupils that the accused were behind the theft.
“Mukartdas was questioned and he confessed that he burgled the VP’s office because his girlfriend’s phone was among the seized phones.
“The accused were arrested and handed over to the police,” the prosecutor said.
The offences contravened sections 287, 307 (c), 350 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Section 287 stipulates three-year imprisonment for stealing, while Section 307 (c) prescribes life jail term for burglary.
The case was adjourned until June 27 for mention.
(NAN)
