The police in Lagos have arrested an apprentice mechanic in the Mushin area of the state, Ibrahim Adebowale, for allegedly withdrawing a sum of N156,000 from his boss’ bank account.

It was learnt that the boss, Akinyemi Benjamin, had given the suspect his Automated Teller Machine card to help him withdraw N20,000.

Adebowale, 24, was said to have cleared N156,000 in his boss’ account and made away with it.

He reportedly used the money to place a bet on football matches via a sport betting outlet popularly known as NaijaBet.

It was gathered that Benjamin reported the case to the police at the Olosan Division and Adebowale was tracked down.

The complainant told the police that he was working on a car when he received N20,000 debit alerts repeatedly.

He said he was surprised and rushed to an ATM point around his workshop where he had told Adebowale to withdraw the money, adding that he did not meet him there.

Benjamin said, “I gave him my ATM card to go to a nearby bank and help me withdraw N20,000. Some minutes after he left, I received alerts on my phone, showing that he had collected N20,000 many times.

“I left what I was doing and rushed to the bank. By the time I got there, I had received alerts indicating that he had withdrawn N156,000. I went to check him at his parents’ house but his mother said she did not know his whereabouts. I then reported the case to the police.”

Adebowale, a native of Lafenwa in Ogun State, owned up to the crime in his statement to the police, adding that he used the money for betting.

He said, “That day, my boss gave me his ATM card to help him withdraw N20,000 from his account. When I got to the ATM point, I decided to withdraw N156,000 and ran away. I used the money to place bets in NaijaBet.”

He was consequently brought before an Ogba magistrates’ court by a police prosecutor, Inspector Koti Ahondehemba, on two counts of stealing.

The charges read, “That you, Ibrahim Adebowale, on April 13, 2019 at about 7.20pm, on Oyekunle Street, Mushin, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conduct yourself in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace by taking your boss’ UBA ATM card, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section168 (d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.

“That you, Ibrahim Adebowale, on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned magisterial district, did steal the sum of one N156,000 property of one Akinyemi Benjamin, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”

Adebowale, however, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him.

The presiding Magistrate, Mr K. O. Osundare, granted him bail in the sum of N80,000 with one surety in the like sum and adjourned the matter till May 6, 2019.

 PUNCH.