A 35-year-old transporter, Nwachukwu Chukwudi and three others, on Friday, appeared before Magistrate A. Aka-Bashorun of the Ikeja Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, for allegedly receiving and selling stolen tricycles.
The accused are said to be friends who are reportedly notorious for receiving and selling stolen tricycles.
Chukwudi and his three other accomplices identified as Cletus Chukwudozie, a trader, 39-year-old Obilor Onyeocha, a middle-aged tricycle operator and Isreal Ajileye, a 37-year-old unemployed man, committed the offences on September 19, at Rogo Street, Iju-Ishaga area of Lagos.
According to the prosecutor, Sgt. Kehinde Olatunde, Chukwudi resides at 5, Olakunle Street, Matogun, Onyeocha resides at 11, Enilolobo Road, Oke-Aro, Ajileye lives at 4, Adedokun Crescent, Akute, while Chukwudozie resides at 245, Irewolede Road, Oke-Aro, Agbado, all in Ogun state.
The prosecutor said, “These four men specialise in receiving and selling stolen tricycles.”
“Tricycles that could not be properly accounted for were found in each of the house of the accused during a search.
“Their arrest came after a tip-off to the police that the accused were used to receiving stolen tricycle from robbers to sell,” he noted.
Olatunde went further to tell the court that the police executed a Search Warrant on the houses of the accused and recovered unregistered tricycles each in the house of these four men.
“Their ill-gotten wares were on display to be sold as at the time of their arrest,” Olatunde added.
Their offences, he said, contravened Sections 326 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. Section 326 prescribes a 14-year jail term as penalty for offenders.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiracy and receiving stolen property.
The magistrate, Aka-Bashorun, reportedly granted the accused N50, 000 bail each with one surety each in like sum.
Bashorun adjourned the case till November 11 for hearing.
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