18-year-old student in court for stealing phone from mosque

An 18-year-old secondary school student, Muritala Adulfatai, who allegedly entered a mosque and stole a phone valued at N35,000, was on Thursday in Lagos released on a N10,000 bail.

Mr. Adulfatai, who entered a `not-guilty’ plea to the theft charge, is a resident of No. 5, Irelodun St., Agbado-Ijaiye, a Lagos suburb.

An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court which gave the ruling, also asked the accused to produce one surety as part of the bail condition.

Magistrate Y.R. Pinheiro said the surety must be gainfully employed and should show evidence of two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

According to the prosecutor, Mathew Akhaluode, the accused committed the offence on January 15 at a mosque at Ijaiye-Ojokoro Housing Estate, Lagos.

The prosecutor told the court that the accused entered the mosque while they were praying and stole a phone valued at N35,000 where it was being charged, property of the complainant, Kehinde Adedapo.

“The complainant said he needed to charge his phone, so he left it at a corner in the mosque.

“The accused sneaked into the mosque, took the phone and was ready to disappear with it when one the worshippers at the mosque raised an alarm.

“He was apprehended and taken to the police station,” Mr. Akhaluode, a police inspector, said.

The offence contravened Section 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the accused, on conviction, may be jailed for three years, according to the provisions of the Criminal Law.

The magistrate adjourned the case to February 1 for mention.