By Felix Kuyinu
The Magistrates Court in Yaba, Lagos has arrainged an employee for alledgedly losing his employer’s N300,000 to gambling.
The culprit, Samuel Meyiwa, was arrested by Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command and brought before Magistrate Omobola Salawu on one-count charge of stealing.
The Police told the Magistrate that Meyiwa, 26, was employed at Freedom Pure Water Company, Bariga, in March with the duty of selling sachet water as a truck driver.
The court was informed that sometime in October, Meyiwa was asked to distribute sachet water worth N88,000 to the company’s patronizers but failed to remit the sales money to the organization, claiming that the buyers did not pay after he distributed the goods.
The Police later revealed that in November, the offender’s truck was loaded with bags of sachet water worth N300,000 to be supplied to buyers but went to gamble with the money and absconded after losing all.
All means to reach him proved abortive until he was sighted in another company where he had started working and was arrested by the police.
Meyiwa committed the offence between March and November 2023 at Okusanya Street, off Adebayo Road, Bariga, which contravened Section 287 (7) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.
The Police charge read, “That you Samuel Meyiwa, sometime March to November 2023 at Bariga in the Yaba Magisterial District did steal the sum of three hundred thousand naira cash from Freedom Pure Water Company situated at No 10 NG Okusanya street off Adebayo Road, Bariga, where you were employed as a driver and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 287 (7) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge preferred against him.
Following his plea, the magistrate granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 with two responsible sureties in like sum.
She adjourned the case till January 25, 2024 for trial.
