Three security guards, James Michael, Christopher Ekpenyong and Samuel Ekong, on Monday, appeared in an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, for alleged theft of Church property valued at N610,000.
Michael, 25; Ekpenyong, 22; and Ekong, 29 were arraigned before Magistrate J.A Adigun, on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.
The defendants, who reside at Magodo and Ogba in Lagos, had pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Adigun granted bail to the defendants in the sum of N250, 000 each with two sureties each in like sum.
He said the sureties should be gainfully employed and show evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
The Prosecutor, Sgt. Godwin Awase said that the defendants committed the offences between January 5 and March 2 at Oke-Ira, Ogba in Lagos.
Awase said that they conspired to steal the property of Redeemed Christian Church of God, Overflow Parish, Ogba in Lagos.
“The defendants stole 209 pieces of plastic chairs valued at N313, 000 and 38 pieces of iron chairs worth N247, 000.
“Others are 100 litres of diesel N20, 000 and 15 pieces of 10mm iron valued at N30, 000 totalling N610,000,” he said.
Awase said that the church elders came into the church and discovered that some items were missing.
“The church discovered that some of it property were nowhere to be found.
“When the accused were confronted, they first denied the theft but when they were arrested, they made a confessional statement to the police admitting stealing those items.
“They said that the items were sold to different buyers at a cheaper rate but claimed that they did not know where they reside,” the prosecutor said.
He said the offences contravened sections 287(7) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the accused may be jailed for seven years if found guilty of stealing.
The case was adjourned until March 29 for mention.
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