2 welders remanded for stealing from SON’s sealed warehouse
A Federal High Court, Lagos, today, ordered the remand of two welders who allegedly broke into a sealed warehouse and stole substandard electric cables confiscated by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
The two welders, 31 years old Chukwuma Nwodo, of 8 Tobi Close, Mosafejo, Ojo-Alaba, Lagos and Abor Ikechukwu, 21, of 1, Collins Street, Alaba International Market, Lagos.
The presiding judge, Justice Nicholas Oweibo, made the remand order following their arraignment by the federal government on a two-count charge of conspiracy, unlawful destruction of SON seal and stealing.
The prosecutor, Mr. Babatunde Alajogun, a Senior State Counsel, from the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), told the judge that the two defendants committed the offences on or about August 21, 2019 at a warehouse behind Bengass Motor Park, Ojo-Alaba.
“They conspired to destroy the seal of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria which was used to seal up the warehouse which contained substandard cables using welding equipment,” he said.
He also told the court that the two men carried out the destruction using welding equipment and gained entrance into the warehouse and carted away the substandard electric cables.
The offences, the prosecutor added, contravened Sections 3(a) and 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 2004 and punishable under Section 3(a) of the same Act.
Meanwhile, Nwodo and Ikechukwu denied the allegation and pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
Following their denial of the allegation, Alajogun prayed the court to remand both defendants pending trial.
He said: “We humbly make an application that the defendants be remanded in prison custody and for the court to fix a date for trial.
“We have two witnesses and we can finish this case in a few weeks”.
Defence counsel S. I. Onyema did not oppose him. But informed the judge that he had only just seen the case file, while asked the court for a date so that he can bring the necessary applications before the court.
In a bench ruling, Justice Oweibo upheld Alajogun’s prayer.
He added: “We’ll take a date for hearing, any time you (Onyema) bring your application, we’ll hear it. The case is adjourned till October 24 for trial. The defendants are hereby remanded in prison custody”.
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