Lagos court remands six for stealing N80m cable

A Lagos State High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square on Tuesday remanded six suspects in the Ikoyi Correctional Centre for allegedly robbing officials of a company at gunpoint and stealing cable valued at N80m belonging to the company in the Yaba area of the state.

The defendants include Felix Onyema, Sunday Alagbogu, Sylvester Nwajagu, Celestine Nnailo, Obinna Onu and Jacob Abayomi.

The defendants, who are facing five-count of conspiracy, robbery, armed robbery and receiving of stolen goods, were arraigned before Justice Sherifat Sonaike.

The state prosecuting counsel, M. A. Olateju, told the court that the defendants conspired to commit the offence.

He said the incident took place on June 20, 2022, in the Yaba area of the state.

Olateju told the court that the defendants, while armed with a gun, robbed one Emmanuel Bassey of 16 drums of 96 core Starlite optic cable valued at N80m around 1am.

He added that the defendants, while armed with a gun, also robbed one Abel Endurance of the said cable above.

The prosecutor alleged that on the same day around 8pm, the fourth defendant, Nnailo, received 10 drums of the cable valued at N10m which he knew to be stolen, in the Shibiri area of the state.

He further alleged that the fifth defendant, Onu, also received 10 drums of the cable valued at N10m at the Alaba International Market in Ojo.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

The judge adjourned the hearing of the bail applications of the first and sixth defendants till March 21.

Meanwhile, she granted the fourth and fifth defendants bail in the sum of N10m each.

Consequently, the judge ordered that the defendants be remanded at Ikoyi Correctional Centre and adjourned till April 25 for trial.