Sales Man Arraigned in Court for Theft

The terrain of business entrepreneurship in this country is increasingly getting more challenging in the area of balancing absence of trust, financial management and difficulty in safeguarding organizations’ property from thefts for attainment of organizational economic survival.

A 22-year old man; Mr. A. Toheeb was charged before Chief Magistrate Court 4 of Oyo State of Nigeria in Ibadan for allegedly stealing three 50kg gas cylinders totaling 150kg, all valued at Forty-Two Thousand Naira property of Mr. B. Mufutau. This is an offence contrary to and punishable under section 390(9) of the criminal code Cap 38 Vol 2 Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria 2000.

The prosecutor, Sergeant Daudu Temitope told the court that the case against the defendant was reported to the Police at Sanyo Police Station on the 4th of November 2017 at about 2pm by Mr. B. Mufutau of Fatusi Ayegun Area, Ibadan. The case was entered and referred for further investigation.

The facts of the case stated that the complainant is the Managing Director of a limited liability Gas Company at Ayegun Area Ibadan and he employed the defendant as a sale boy on 15th day of August 2017 on N7,000.00 (US$19.44) monthly salary.

By September 2017 the defendant allegedly sold two 50kg. gas cylinders adding up to 100 kg and valued at N39,000.00 but could not account for a sum of N15,000.00 from the sold items. The suspect allegedly pleaded to his boss for forgiveness and they reach the agreement of deducting N3,000.00 (US$8.33) monthly from the defendant N7,000.00 salary.

On the 4th of November, 2017 the said accused further allegedly sold another 100kg of Gas valued N30,000 and converted the money to his own use without remitting it to his company’s account. Having agreed to pay N3,000 (US$8.33) monthly from his salary, the outstanding balance from the alleged first stealing reduces to N12,000.00 (US$33.33) and if added to the alleged unremitted N30,000.00 (US$83.33), both sum up to N42,000.00. (US$116.66).

The family of the suspect allegedly signed an undertaking to pay the N42,000.00 (US$116.66) on or before 15th day of January 2018 but allegedly failed to fulfill.

But, according to the accused person, in a statement, he said he is a native of Oyo State and that he attended a Community Primary School at Olomi, Ibadan and a grammar School at Oniyanrin-Inalende area of Ibadan. The statement further said that he cannot further his education and joined the Gas Company as a Gas-filling worker, at Ago show bus stop along Olunde area of Ibadan on the 15th of August 2017. He alleged that he knew his boss through his friend; Mr. Y. Eniola.
On all the allegations, Mr. Toheeb said he took over two gas cylinders from Mr. Sheriff, one of it was filled with gas while the other was half-filled.. The full one was N13,000.00 (US$36.11) while the half-filled one was N6500.00 (US$18.05) but when he sold it, he realized N5,500.00. He further alleged that Sheriff gave him the half payment of N6,000.00 (US$16.66) The accused further that when he resumed back to the company after ILEYA festival it was discovered that there was a mismanagement of a full cylinder Gas 15kg valued at N14,000.00 (US$38.88) between him and one Mr. Yusuf which they both eventually settled to pay back the money at the rate of N7,000.00 (US$19.44) per head.

He also said that in the month of October,2017 he took two 50kg cylinders that added up 100kg of Gas valued N29,000.00 (US$80.55) from the company but did not remit the money to the company’s account. He told the Court that he spent N14,500.00 (US$40.28) on his Arabic Study because he wanted to travel to Saudi Arabia. He said he could not account for the remaining N14,500.00 (US$40.28) but he agreed that total amount he owed the Gas company is N43,000.00 (US$119.44), a thousand Naira higher than the N42,000.00 (US$116.66) put forward by his boss.

The charge before the accused is bail-able and the prosecutor did not have any objection because the two witnesses were not present in court.

His Honour, Chief Magistrate Muideen Salami granted the accused – Mr. Toheeb bail in the sum of N20,000.00 (US$55.55) with a surety that is gainfully employed and he ordered the prosecutor to verify the surety address and the case was adjourned to 6th day of June 2018.

By Ademola Oladele

PublicTimes http://publictimes.com.ng ISSN 2250-9259

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