Tenants dragged landlords to court for stealing

A tenant, Mr Ajide of 36, Araromi Street, Anifowoshe, Ikeja has dragged his landlords, Nasiru Lawal and Wahab Lawal before a Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ogba, accusing them of breaking into his room and stealing a sum of two hundred thousand naira.

The defendants in their early thirties, who also lived in the house, had inherited the property from their late father.

Testifying before the court, the Investigating Police Officer (I.P.O.), Ms Ngozi said the defendants were the only people at home when the padlock to the room of the complainant was tampered with and the money stolen. She told the court that the second defendant, Waha Lawal had a shop at the house, while the first defendant, Nasiru Lawal saw the money with the complainant when he met him on the road to demand rent the same day the money disappeared farom his room.

The I.P.O. claimed that the defendants initially owned up to the accusations and wanted to settle the matter amicably with the complainant, but when the prosecutor, Inspector Raji asked why the case is again in court, the I.P.O. said the defendants later returned to the police station to say they would rather go on trial to clear their names.  

Counsel to the defendants, Otunba Shola Ojeriakhi sought an adjournment for cross examination of the I.P.O. The trial Magistrate T.O. Shomade adjourned the matter till the 29^th of this month for continuation of trial.

 Meanwhile, the trial of one Afam Membis and one Obinna on charges of conspiracy and theft has commenced at the Magistrate’s Court, Ogba.

The two men were accused of stealing the brain box of a vehicle and later tried to sell it to the same motor mechanic in whose custody the vehicle was left for repairs by the owner at the Ladipo Market, Mushin.

The mechanic, Oluwafemi Olabinjo told the court that Obinna wanted to sell the car’s brain box to him and when he was questioned by the executives of the market union on how he came about the vehicle part he claimed it was given to him by Afam Membis. Oluwafemi added that when leaders of the market union questioned Afam on how he got the brain box, he claimed that he bought it from a stranger passer-by whose address he did not know.

Magistrate T.O. Shomade adjourned the case till 31^st of this month for continuation of trial.