A teenager, John Favour, who was caught red handed while allegedly stealing some cables at one of the buildings at the Government Reserved Area in Osogbo, capital of Osun State, has been dragged before a Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Osogbo.
Favour, aged 19, was accused of sneaking into a building at the GRA and carting away some electric cables from the mansion on April 21, 2024.
The gateman of the building was said to have caught Favour removing the cables inside the building’s ceiling and raised the alarm that attracted neighbours in the area.
It was gathered that the neighbours joined the gateman in chasing the teenager who ran into the premises of the Osun State Deputy Governor and hid himself.
The Osun State Government House at Oke-Fia, Osogbo houses the state governor, Ademola Adeleke, his deputy, Kola Adewusi and their family members and stewards.
The Government House’s location is not too far to the burgled building at the GRA.
Luck ran out on Favour who was arrested inside the Deputy Governor’s quarters and handed over to the Police.
“We saw him removing some cables in the ceiling and we started chasing him. To our surprise, he scaled the fence and jumped into the Government House and hid himself at the Deputy Governor compound.
We got inside the Government House and dragged him out. It was after we got him that we handed him over to the police,” a resident who participated in the chase told The Point.
After police concluded the investigation, Favour was dragged to court alongside a 22-year-old Zayyanu Ibrahim who was alleged to have been receiving stolen items from the teenage accused person.
When the matter was mentioned in court, Police prosecutor, Elisha Olusegun, told the court that, “John Favour, Zayyanu Ibrahim and others now at large, on or about the 21st day of April, 2024 at about 0930hrs at G.R.A Area, Osogbo in the Osogbo Magisterial District, did conspire with others at large to commit felony to wit: House breaking and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol. II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.”
Olusegun added that Favour and others now at large on the same date, time, place and in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did break and enter a dwelling house at No. 5 Moruf Bankole Street GRA, Osogbo which is under the care of Bello Olasile Abdullahi by breaking the roof and entering into the ceiling with intent to steal the installed electrical cables and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 411 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol. II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.
The charge further read, “That you John Favour and others now at large on the same date, time, place and in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did steal installed electrical cables at No. 5 Moruf Bankole street GRA, Osogbo which is under the care of Bello Olasile Abdullahi and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol. II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.
“That you Zayyanu Ibrahim did receive stolen property to wit: electrical cables stolen from No. 5 Moruf Bankole Street GRA Oke-Fia, Osogbo from John Favour and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 427 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol. II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.
“That you John Favour, Zayyanu Ibrahim and others now at large on the same date, time, place and in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did conduct yourselves in a manner likely to cause breach of public peace to cause persons in Osogbo and its environs to fear and/or panic by breaking in and out several houses on Moruf Bankole Street GRA Osogbo and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 249 (d) of the Criminal Code Cap 34 vol. II Laws of Osun state of Nigeria, 2002.”
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
Chief Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara ordered that the duo be remanded in prison and adjourned the case till June 11 for consideration of bail.
