BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
Three staff members of a private establishment, Layour Company Nigeria Limited have been dragged before an Osogbo Magistrate’s Court for allegedly stealing from the firm.
The accused persons, Lawal Olasunkanmi, aged 32, Paul Amos, 33, John Temidayo, aged 32, were said to have fraudulently stolen the sum of Seven Million, Seventeen Thousand and Six Hundred Naira (N7, 017, 600:00) from the company.
According to the Police Prosecutor, Inspector Kabiru Rasaq, the trio committed the offence sometime this year and also converted the stolen sum to their personal use.
Details of the two count-charge read, “That you Lawal Olasunkanmi, Paul Amos and John Temidayo, sometimes in year 2023, at Osogbo in the Osogbo Magisterial District did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit: stealing and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of criminal; code cap 34 Vol, II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.
“That you Lawal Olasunkanmi, Paul Amos and John Temidayo on the same date, time, place, month and year in the aforementioned Magisterial District did fraudulently steal and convert to your own use the sum of seven million, seventeen thousand and six hundred naira (N7,017,600:00K) property of Layour Company Nigeria Limited represented by Oni Joseph Olayiwola and Abolade Nurudeen and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 383 (1) and punishable under section 390 (9) of the criminal code cap. 34 vol. 11 law of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.”
The trio entered into a not guilty plea. Their counsels, Tunbosun Oladipupo and Najite Okobe urged the court to admit the accused workers to bail and that they have credible people to stand sureties for them.
Objecting to the bail application, the prosecutor said there was a tendency that the defendants would jump bail because of the amount involved in the charge.
During a brief questioning by the presiding Chief Magistrate, Olusegun Ayilara, the defendants said they were aware of the act and that they used the money to cater for their needs.
The first defendant (Lawal Olasunkanmi), who said he is from Oyan town in Osun State, told the court that he built a house with the proceeds of the alleged crime.
Also, the third defendant (John Temidayo), an indigene of Offa in Kwara State, confessed that he embarked on a house building project with the alleged stolen money.
However, the second accused person, Paul Amos, an indigene of Odo-Otin in Osun, confessed that he only took N300, 000 and that he gave it out as loan to someone.
Ayilara adjourned the matter for ruling on bail application and ordered that the trio be remanded in the Correctional Centre.
