BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
A mechanic, who is said to be an alcoholic, Kehinde Obafemi, has been remanded in prison custody for allegedly stealing a motorcycle belonging to one of his clients.
It was gathered that Obafemi, whose workshop is at Ayekale area of Osogbo, was given a Bajaj motorcycle to repair but failed to deliver it to the owner after fixing the fault on it.
The complainant, Adunni Samuel, a journalist, said that he had taken his motorcycle to Obafemi’s workshop to fix the fault. He was said to have given the mechanic the sum of N4, 500 charged for the repairs.
Samuel said that he waited for the mechanic to return his motorcycle after carrying out the repairs but became apprehensive after some time when he did not see him.
“I visited his workshop but he told me that he could no longer find my motorcycle. I made investigation and discovered that he was in the habit of stealing people’s motorcycles, so I reported him to the Police,” he said.
Obafemi, who denied stealing the motorcycle, said that it must have been stolen at the time when he got drunk.
According to him, he rode the motorcycle to the christening ceremony of his friend’s baby where he got drunk. While leaving the venue of the ceremony, he claimed that he left the bike there having forgotten that he took it to the place.
“I did not steal it (motorcycle). I fixed the fault and rode it to my friend’s baby naming ceremony. I later discovered that the motorcycle had been stolen. I was under the influence of alcohol; I will never take alcohol again. I took Orijin drink at the ceremony; that was what caused this,” the suspect said.
Obafemi was arrested and charged with one count of stealing at the court.
The charge reads, “That you, Kehinde Obafemi, aged 24, on August 17, 2021 at about 9am at Ayekale area of Osogbo, did steal a Bajaj boxer motorcycle with registration number PKA 511 VM, valued N165, 000 property of Adunni Adesola Samuel and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Cap 34, Volume II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.”
The defendant pleaded guilty to the allegation.
The magistrate, M. A. Olatunji, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N250, 000 with one surety in like some.
The surety, he said, must be his relative.
The case was adjourned to September 9 for further hearing,
Obafemi was remanded in Ilesa Correctional Centre over his inability to provide a surety.
