The police in Lagos State have arrested two suspects, Umaru Babangida
and John Samuel, in connection with the stealing of two exotic sports
bicycles worth about N3m.
The bicycles belong to a resident of Babatunde Crescent, Lekki Phase 1, identified as Osarenkhme Afe.
It was gathered that the stolen items – a Scott X10 hybrid bicycle
and a giant defy advanced carbon fibre road bicycle – were valued at
N1.1M and N1.9m respectively.
Twenty-year-old Babangida, was said to have bought the Scott X10
hybrid bicycle from Samuel and other suspects at large for N10,000.
They were apprehended on October 22, after the case was reported to the police at the Maroko Police Division.
Punch Metro gathered that Afe had come back from morning jogging on
September 14, when he discovered that the bicycles had been stolen.
It was learnt that the thieves had crept into the building when a
security guard manning it had slept off, stealing the guard’s phone and
the bicycles.
One of the suspects, Babangida, told the police that he was initially
suspicious that the bicycle was stolen, but decided to buy it after
assurances that there was no problem.
He said, “I bought the bicycle from a man that was brought to me
by John (Samuel). I bought it for N10,000 but he didn’t give me a
receipt. The man said it belonged to him and that I should not worry.”
Samuel denied the knowledge of the theft, saying he only facilitated the selling of the bicycle to Babangida.
“I met a man on the
road and he said he wanted to sell a bicycle. I told him I didn’t have
money and took him to my friend, Babangida. I didn’t know it was
stolen,” he added.
A police prosecutor, Inspector Philip Osijale, on Monday arraigned
the two suspects before a Tinubu Magistrate’s Court on three counts
bordering on stealing and receiving stolen property.
The charges read in part,
“That you, John Samuel
and others now at large on September 14, 2016, at about 6.30am, at
Babatunde Crescent, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, in the Eti-Osa Local
Government Area, within the Lagos Magisterial District, did steal one
giant defy advanced carbon fibre road bicycle valued at N1.935,000, and
one Scott X10 hybrid bicycle valued at N1.1m, property of one Osarenkhme
Afe, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 285 of the
Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.”
The defendants pleaded not guilty and were granted bail in the sum of
N500,000 with two sureties each in like sum by a presiding magistrate,
Mrs. M.B. Folami.
The case was adjourned till December 21, 2016.
– Punch
