Unemployed Man Imprisoned For Stealing 16 Sim Cards, ATM Cards

An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court on Friday remanded one unemployed Charles Eze in the Ikoyi Custodial Centre after he pleaded guilty to stealing 16 Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards and some Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards.

The police arraigned 33-year-old Eze together with Raphael Nwachukwu, 36, before Chief Magistrat T. A. Ojo.

The defendants, whose residential addresses were not given, are facing charges of conspiracy and stealing.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while Eze admitted guilt, Nwachukwu pleaded not guilty.

Ojo remanded Eze pending review of the facts of the case and sentencing, and admitted Nwachukwu to N100, 000 bail with two sureties in like sum.

She ruled that the sureties must be gainfully employed and have evidence of two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

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The chief magistrate adjourned the case until Jan. 29 for Eze’s sentencing.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Sgt. Kenrich Nomayo told the court that the duo conspired and unlawfully interfered with some people’s SIM and ATM cards.

Nomayo said the defendants could not give a satisfactory explanation on the ownership of the items. He said that they committed the offences on Jan. 10 at 11.00 p.m. on Akerele Street in Agege, a Lagos suburb.

The prosecutor told the court that the police on patrol arrested the defendants while lurking around for more victims.

“The police searched them and recovered 16 different SIM cards and ATM cards which they could not give a satisfactory account of,” he said.

The alleged offences violate sections 287 and 411 of the Criminal Code of Lagos State, 2015 (revised).

NAN reports that stealing attracts three years’ imprisonment while conspiracy is punishable with two years’ jail term.