Ogun court jails two for stealing Dangote truck parts

A Magistrate Court in Isabo, Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State, sentenced two individuals, Emmanuel Choice and Ojuola Akande, to three months in prison on Thursday for stealing motor parts from a truck that belonged to the Dangote Cement Transport company.

In a separate ruling, the court also handed down a six-month prison term to one Olaiya Abdulrahman for reckless driving that resulted in Olusegun Olusanya’s injury.

The prosecutor, Lawrence Olu-Balogun, noted that on August 22, 2023, Emmanuel and Ojuola stole two sets of tyres, two sets of rims and one drum hub worth N976,715.00 from the trailer body marked DT/7579/CH and two sets of tyres, two sets of rims and one drum hub worth N976,715.00 from the trailer body marked DT/7736/CH belonging to Dangote Cement Transport, Ibese.

The defendants, he said, violated Sections 516 and 383 of the Criminal Code Vol. II Laws of Ogun State of Nigeria, 2004, by committing offences that were on the verge of being felonies, such as stealing.

The charge stated, in part, “That you Emmanuel Choice “M,” Ojuola Akande “M,” and one other now at large on August 22, 2023, at or about 3:00 a.m. at Dangote Cement Transport Premises, Ibese, in the Ayetoro Magisterial District, did conspire within yourself to commit felony to wit stealing and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code Vol.

“That you Emmanuel Choice ‘M’, Ojuola Akande ‘M’, and one other currently at large on the same date, time, and location in the aforementioned Magisterial District did steal Four tyres, Four rims, and Four drum hub from Trailer body marked DT/7736/CH and Two tyres, Two rims, and one drum hub from Trailer body marked DT/7579/CH valued at N976,715.00k only property of Dangote Cement Transport

The victim, 53-year-old Onasanya, suffered body injuries as a result of Abdulrahman’s careless driving on August 12, 2023, Olu-Balogun noted. The incident occurred along Afami Road in the Yewa-North local government area of Ogun State.

According to Olu-Balogun, the Federal High Way Act, CAP 135 of Federation of Nigeria, 2004, which is applicable in Ogun State, violated and penalised Abdulraham’s offences under sections 6(1) and 13(1)(a).

The charge stated, in part, “That you OLAIYA ABDULRAHMAN ‘M’ did drive the şaid vehicle on the Public Road in a manner which was dangerously, recklessly and knocked down one Onasanya Olusegun’m’ 53 years a security operative at Dangote Cement Transport, Ibese, as such caused bodily injuries includ…”

“That you OLAIYA ABDULRAHMAN ‘M’ on the same date, time, and location in the aforementioned Magisterial District did cause bodily injuries to one Onasanya Olusegun’m’ but failed to stop or attend to the injured person in order to secure for him medical attention nor report the accident to the nearest Police Station, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 13 (1) (a) (c) and punishable under Section 13 (2) of the Federal High Court Rules

The two-count charge levied against them was accepted as guilty by all of the defendants.

Emmanuel and Ojuola were sentenced to three months in prison without the option of a fine after Chief Magistrate E. O. Idowu found the defendants guilty of the crimes, while Abdulrahman was given a six-month sentence with the option of a N10,000 fine if he could pay N200,000 to the victim who had been injured.