…As Court jailed Man 4 years for stealing from Galaxy Guest Inn***

A 35-year-old Hotel Receptionist, Ijeoma Sunday, was on Thursday docked before an Ojo Magistrate’s Court in Lagos for allegedly stealing N1.7 million from her employer, Blue Ivy Hotel and Suites.

The defendant is standing trial on a count charge of stealing.

She, however, pleaded not guilty before the Magistrate, Mr. L.J.K. Layeni.

The Prosecutor, Dr. Simon Uche told the court that the defendant committed the offence between August 2022 and March 9.

Uche alleged that the defendant used her position as a receptionist to steal money from the hotel.

The prosecutor told the court that the defendant allegedly misinformed the hotel customers that the hotel’s POS was faulty and they should pay their bills into her personal account

Uche alleged that the defendant merely switched off the POS to enable her perpetrate the fraud.

The prosecutor said that investigations revealed that the defendant had stolen a total sum of N1.7 million within eight months.

He said that the offence contravened Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

Layeni granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.

He adjourned the case until April 12 for trial. 

In another development, a Grade 1 Area Court in Karu, Abuja, on Thursday sentenced a 27-year-old man, Halidu Nuhu, to four years imprisonment for stealing items and possessing dry leaves suspected to be hemp.

The Judge, Mr. Umar Mayana sentenced Nuhu after he pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy, mischief, theft, criminal intimidation and constituting public nuisance, but begged for leniency.

The judge gave the convict an option to pay a N250,000 fine.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Mr. Edwin Ochayi, told the court that one Mr. Halilu Abdulrasheed of Kuruduma, Asokoro, Abuja, reported the matter at the Asokoro Police Station.

Ochayi said that, on Feb. 1, Nuhu conspired with another person and went into Galaxy Guest Inn, destroyed a local weight lift valued at N10,000, and stole a max phone which was later retrieved.

According to Ochayi, during police investigation, Nuhu and his accomplice confessed to the crimes while police found a long knife on him along with dry leaves suspected to be hemp.

Ochayi submitted that the offences contravened Sections 327, 397 and 188 of the Penal Code.