CYRIACUS IZUEKWE
Three men have been arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate Court over alleged conspiracy and stealing of iPhone grade screens valued at N10,000,000 in the Ikeja area of Lagos State.
The defendants, Adeyinka Basit, 21, Joseph Peter, 18, and Makinde Oluwasunkanmi, 20, were arraigned on Charge No. MI/ /2026 before Magistrate Mr. L.A. Owolabi, following charges filed by the Commissioner of Police.
The prosecutor, SP Josephine Ihkayere, told the court that the defendants allegedly committed the offences on July 18, 2026, at No. 1, Adepele Street, Off Medical Road, Ikeja, within the Ikeja Magisterial District.
Medical Road is located inside the popular Computer Village in Ikeja, Lagos, which is well known as the largest hub for sales and repairs of phones, laptops and accessories in Nigeria.
In Count One, the prosecution alleged that the three defendants conspired among themselves to commit felony to wit, stealing, contrary to Section 411 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.
In Count Two, the prosecutor alleged that the defendants, on the same date, time and place, dishonestly stole and converted to their own use iPhone Grade Screens valued at N10,000,000, property of Fixall Perfect, contrary to Section 280 and punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State.
In Count Three, the defendants were alleged to have received stolen iPhone Grade Screens valued at the same sum, property of Fixall Perfect, contrary to Section 328 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.
The charges were read to the defendants in open court and their pleas were taken by the court. The Magistrate recorded the findings of the arraignment proceedings.
SP Ihkayere informed the court that the case was investigated by operatives attached to Area ‘F’ Command, Ikeja, and that the Investigating Police Officer is Cpl. Abudu Mary. She applied for the prosecution of the matter in line with due process.
She also told the court that the case file had been reviewed and approved by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, through the District Prosecutor’s Office, Ogba, for prosecution at the Magistrate Court level.
Counsel to the defendants, whose names were announced in court, urged the court to admit the defendants to bail on liberal terms, assuring the court that they would not jump bail and would make themselves available for trial.
The prosecutor did not oppose the bail application but urged the court to impose stringent conditions that would ensure the defendants’ attendance at trial.
In his ruling, Magistrate Owolabi granted each of the defendants bail with sureties.
The court ordered that the sureties must show evidence of means of livelihood and evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
The Magistrate further ordered that the defendants be remanded in custody at the Correctional Centre, Kirikiri Town, pending the perfection of their bail conditions.
He adjourned the matter to a later date for mention and trial, directing the prosecution to duplicate the case file where necessary and ensure all exhibits, including the alleged stolen items and relevant documents, are properly kept for trial.
Police sources said the complainant, Fixall Perfect, a company dealing in phone accessories inside Computer Village, had reported the alleged disappearance of its goods, leading to investigations that resulted in the arrest of the defendants.
The Lagos State Police Command has reiterated its commitment to tackling theft, burglary and receiving of stolen goods, especially within commercial hubs like Computer Village, warning that those found culpable would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
Legal experts note that conspiracy, stealing and receiving stolen property are serious offences under Lagos State laws, attracting stiff penalties upon conviction.
As at the time of filing this report, the matter is still pending before the court. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
