Mechanic arraigned for allegedly stealing car worth N1.6m

A 21-year-old mechanic, Ayo Ganiyu, was on Tuesday arraigned before an Ogudu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly stealing a car valued N1.6million.

The Prosecutor, Insp. Lucky Ihiehie, said the defendant committed the offence sometime in December 2017 at Ojota Mechanic Village, Ojota area of Lagos.

He said the Complainant, Mr Tolulope Adesoji, gave his Nissan Ultima car with Lagos registration no: GGE 815 AT to the defendant for repair but allegedly sold the car.

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“Some weeks later, the complaint received a tip-off by an informant that his car had been sold by the defendant.

“He immediately rushed to the workshop but the defendant was nowhere to be found.

“When the defendant was later arrested after months of trying to trace his whereabouts, he confessed that he sold the car for N450,000 when he was in need of money,”  the prosecutor said.

Ihiehie said the offence contravened Section 280 (1) (a) and punishable under Section 287(10) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 287 prescribes three years imprisonment for stealing.

The defendant, who has no fixed address, pleaded not guilty to the charge of stealing.

The Magistrate, Mrs Ejiro Kubeinje, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

Kubeinje said that the sureties should be gainfully employed and show evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

The case was adjourned until Oct. 2 for mention.