Justine Philip, 22, has been arraigned at the Isolo magistrate court II for stealing a HP Elite Book 840 G3 laptop valued at 320,000 naira and one Samsung A10 Galaxy phone valued at 49,000. The items which belong to one Mr. Orji Onwuchekwe, Abuja resident, who came to Lagos to undergo a professional course and had to stay at his elder sister’s house, Mrs. Arunma Etti who is also the landlady of the said house is located at No 104 Bayo Oyewole street, Ago- Okota.
Onwuchekwe had his personal items stolen by Phillip who broke into the house at about 8pm and made away with the items at about 2:00am when the occupants of the house were deep asleep.
Phillip, is faced with a four-count charge of felony to wit burglary and stealing; for conducting himself in a manner likely to cause breach of peace by using tiles to cut through the window; stealing one HP Elite Book 840 G3 valued at #320,000 and one Samsung A10 Galaxy valued at #49,000 and for maliciously damaging window net and burglary proof valued at #30,000. All punishsable under sections 411, 287, 315 (B), respectively of the Criminal Laws of Lagos state of Nigeria 2015.
Phillip who pleaded guilty to all four count charges was traced with the aid of trackers installed in the stolen devices which he sold to some boys at the Alaba market. “I sold the laptop for 20,000 naira and the phone for 10,000 naira to some boys I approached at Alaba market”. He said.
He pleads that although he doesn’t know any actual spot to locate the boys but can recognise them if he is allowed to go back to Alaba market to retrieve the sold stolen items.
It was gathered that Phillip, a tiler by profession works in a building adjacent to Mrs Etti’s house and usually come into her compound alongside numerous other people to fetch water. The fateful day on which he broke into house he climbed in through the window, used broken tiles to cut the window net and burglary proof to gain entrance through the window.
He said “I crouched and hid in a dark corner inside the house when I broke in that night at about 8pm and stayed there till 2:am when everywhere was silent after they had gone to bed.
I came out and roamed inside the rooms where I saw the laptop and phone lying on the side table.” “I’m so shocked that a thing as this could happen in a house I have lived in for many years. I don’t personally know the boy but he comes into my compound like other people to fetch water. I feel so embarrassed that my brother who usually stays at my place whenever he comes to Lagos will lose his things in my house” Mrs Etti said.
