8 Oil Firm workers jailed for stealing employer’s N39.6m gas

Officials of the Nigerian Police Force at the Zone 2 Command, Lagos have arrested eight staff of an Oil Firm, and charged them before a Lagos Magistrate’s Court for allegedly stealing their employer’s gas valued at N39,603,296 within a period of six months.

The defendants are identified as Anthony Victor, 35; Afonja Oluwakemi, 34; Adedeji Shuaid, 44; Folari Michael, 34, and Moses Supplies, 30, Samuel Ogunsola, 27; Oyedele Musibau, 37 and Odewole Taofeek, 39.

They were charged before the Tinubu Magistrate’s Court on two counts of conspiracy and stealing.

Police Counsel, Francis Igninosa informed the Court in the charge marked N/1/2021 that the defendants committed the offence between January and July, 2021 at Igando area of Lagos.

Francis Igninosa told the Court that the complainant, Biswal Limited reported that it entrusted 360,000 litres of gas valued at N38,603,206 to the defendants to supply telecommunication platforms in the area but that the defendants diverted the gas, sold it and converted the proceeds to their use.

According to him, the complainant uncovered the alleged fraud when it audited the account of the gas supply department.

Igninosa said the offences, the defendants committed were punishable under sections 411 and 287(5)(b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and Magistrate A.A Adetunji granted them bail in the sum of N5m each with two sureties each in like sum.

Adetunji adjourned the case till 23 August, 2021 for mention and ordered that the defendants be kept at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre till they perfected their bail conditions