Paul Adebayo, 35, was on trial on Wednesday at the Samuel Ilori Court in Ogba, Lagos, for allegedly stealing items worth N6.1m. He appeared before Chief Magistrate L.A. Owolabi.
On June 15, 2022, at Omole Estate in the locality of Ikeja area of the state, the defendant is accused on two counts of breaking into a home and stealing the possessions of one Lateef Adebayo.
The offenses were punishable, according to police prosecutor Josephine Ikhayere, under sections 168(d) and 287 of the Lagos State Criminal Law of 2015.
The complainant, Lateef, who was led in as evidence by Ikhayere, played videos from the closed-circuit television that depicted the defendant’s actions in the building during the trial on Monday.
According to Lateef, who was watching the videos, the defendant entered the premises without authorization and and shut himself in.
He said, “We were not around. He put on the lights and went straight to the upper room where we have our bedrooms. He spent over 20 minutes inside the building.
“The housekeeper came in but couldn’t enter and started banging the gate. After waiting for about five minutes, he saw through the hole of the gate that Paul Adebayo was coming out from the main building. He (Paul) also tampered with some of the videos.”
Lateef also tendered a wristwatch which he said was missing after the defendant broke into their home.
He said, “The wife of the defendant brought the wristwatch to the police station. We have been looking for this wristwatch for over a month. The police released it to me on bond.”
He said the total value of property stolen from his home was N6,179,500, including his wife’s jewellery.
The court admitted the videos, wristwatch and other documents tendered by the prosecution as exhibits.
Magistrate Owolabi adjourned the matter till September 22 for continuation of trial.
