On Tuesday, a driver, Sulaimon Kuranga and Afeez Olajaabaru appeared before an Ogudu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, charged with stealing a solar inverter battery worth N10.5 million.

Messrs Kuranga, 52, and Olajaabaru, 40, a transport owner, places of residence were given as Sango and Ibafo in Ogun, respectively, and are both facing charges of conspiracy and stealing.

The prosecution counsel, Donjour Perez, told the court that Krestal Laurel Ltd contracted the defendants to deliver eight inverters and accessories to a client in Abuja using their vehicle.

Mr Olajaabaru brought his vehicle for the job while Mr Kuranga, his driver, drove it to Abuja to deliver the inverters, Mr Perezi said.

The prosecution said the company’s client in Abuja handed the driver a solar inverter battery, valued at N10.5 million, to deliver back to the company in Lagos.

According to Mr Perezi, the driver failed to deliver the inverter battery, and to date, all efforts made to trace the item have proved abortive.

He said the first defendant dishonestly and intentionally made away with the company’s inverter battery worth N10.5 million without the owners’ consent.

The prosecutor said the second defendant could not give a satisfactory account of himself or his driver during the police investigation.

He said the offences contravened sections 287 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The magistrate, M.O. Tanimola, granted them N500,000 bail with two sureties each in like sum.

Ms Tanimola said the sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and should produce reliable means of identification.

She adjourned the matter till February 5 for a hearing. 

(NAN)