30-yr-old man nabbed, arraigned for stealing company products to pay wife’s hospital bills

A 30-year-old man identified as Vincent Ibe has been nabbed for stealing his company’s products in order to settle his wife’s hospital bills.

Reports say the suspect who worked as a cleaner with the company, Chris Ejik Pharmaceutical, located in the Ikeja area of Lagos was caught by the security guard of the outfit before he was handed over to the police.

According to the security guard of the company simply identified as Gabriel, he saw the suspect arranging cartons of the company’s products with the intention of smuggling them out.

Gabriel said; “While I was patrolling the company’s premises, I challenged Ibe because he was not supposed to be at the place I met him at that time. He claimed that he was arranging some cartons.
“Later, I went on another patrol to the company’s dump. There, I saw a sack kept under a big tank.

“When I opened the sack, I discovered drugs belonging to the company. I left the sack there and instructed other security men to lock the gate.

“I rounded up those that were around and took them to where I found the sack. They denied owning the sack. After a vigorous interrogation, Ibe opened up and confessed that he was the person that stole the drugs and kept them there.”

In his confessional statement, the suspect said he attempted to steal the company’s products to get money to pay the hospital bills of his wife who just delivered their baby through caesarean session.

“I was engaged into the service of the company as a cleaner in January 2017. On Saturday, August 11, 2018, I was caught with the company’s products. I stole those products from the company to raise money to settle the hospital bill of my wife who gave birth to a baby boy through a surgical operation on July 14, 2018.

Read also: Kidnapper doses off during operation after getting high on Tramadol

“When I was stealing the drugs, I actually did not have anybody in mind to sell them to. My intention was to look for somebody that I will sell the product to. I know what I did was wrong. I am begging that they should help me and temper justice with mercy.”

The arrested suspect was later arraigned before an Ogba Magistrates’ Court on one count of stealing and while in court, the police prosecutor, told the court that Ibe’s offence contravened Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.

The charge against Ibe read thus, “That you, Vincent Ibe, on August 11, 2018, around 9.50am at Oregun, Ikeja, in the Ikeja Magisterial District, did steal 468 sachets of Eurolax, 500 capsules and 115 Emuloux packs valued N68,840, property of Ejik Pharmaceutical Nig. Ltd.”

After the charge was read against him, Ibe pleaded not guilty with the presiding magistrate, A.K. Dosumu, granting him bail in the sum of N40,000 with two sureties each in like sum.

“The sureties should be gainfully employed with evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government,” Dosumu added.

Dosumu thereafter adjourned the case till September 5, 2018, for further hearing.

 

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