Four men charged for stealing property worth N39.3m from Lagos chief palace

Businessmen docked for alleged cash crop thefts

The Lagos State Police Command has arraigned four suspects for breaking into the palace of a chief, Shefiu Olamiji, and stealing property worth over N39.3m inside the premises of the building at Okegun village, in the Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos state.

The suspects, Rafiu Taibu, 51, Semiu Ogunkoya, 39, Kazeem Ogunkoya, 46, Akeem Adeboyega, and others at large, have been arraigned on four counts bordering on stealing, malicious damage and conducts likely to cause a breach of peace, among others preferred against them by the police.

Meanwhile, The police prosecutor, Inspector Igbinedion James, told the court that the defendants committed the offence on July 1, 2020 but the suspects were arraigned on 15th February 2023 before Magistrate L A Owolabi.

The charge partly read, “That you, Rafiu Taibu, Semiu Ogunkoya, Akeem Adeboyega, and others at large, on July 1, 2020, around 2.30pm at Okegun village, Ibeju Lekki, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit stealing, malicious damage and conduct likely to cause the breach of peace and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

Magistrate Owolabi granted them bail in the sum of N2m each with one surety in like sum.

The case was adjourned till March 20.

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