Chief Magistrate Tajudeen Elias made the order after receiving a letter from the police disclosing their intention to withdraw the case.

Marley, who was absent, was said to be in the United States “for medicals”.

Marley, his two brothers: Idris Fashola, 18; Babatunde Fashola, 24; and their cousin, Kunle Obere, 22, were standing trial on a four-count charge of conspiracy, stealing, assault and obstructing the police from arresting Marley.

They were arraigned by the Police on December 16, but Marley, the fourth defendant, was absent.

The court granted the trio N500,000 bail each with two sureties in the like sum.

Chief Magistrate Elias ordered the Investigative Police Officer (IPO) to produce Marley in court on December 31, 2019 so he could take his plea.

Following his failure to honour the court date and pleas for another chance by his counsel, Awokulehin Ayodeji, the court threatened to order the artiste’s arrest if he didn’t show up yesterday (January 14).

At the commencement of proceedings Monday, only Marley’s brothers and cousin were present.

Prosecuting Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Edet Okoi told the court that Marley and the three other defendants had reached an out of court settlement with the complainant, Mr Adelekan Ademola.

Okoi tendered a letter bearing the agreement to Mr Elias.

The defendants’ counsel Mr Awokulehin Ayodeji confirmed that a deal had been reached.

Chief Magistrate Elias also confirmed the agreement from Mr Ademola, and who was present.

He said: “In view of the letter of withdrawal, the defendants are hereby discharged.”

Awokuleyin said: “As we speak, he is not even in the country. He is abroad for medicals. But the most important thing is that the charge has been withdrawn and consequentially, the matter is dead. He is in the United States.”

The lawyer declined to state the terms of the agreement.

Awokuleyin said: “We reached a resolution and parties were able to settle the matter. As we speak, the matter has been discharged from court and the charge has been dropped. The terms are confidential.”

The complainant in the case, Mr Ademola revealed that his car had been repaired and the items taken from him returned by the defendants.

He also explained the reason for the prosecution.

Ademola said: “Nobody is above the law. You don’t take the law in your hands. That’s the reason.

It (what happened to me) could have happened to any other person. That was my main reason for taking it up to this level, that’s what I gained out of it, to make an example. It’s not for any (financial) gain.

“Also, I don’t want a situation where I would have to be looking over my shoulders, the rest of my life. He said he was not coerced into settling the case.

“I’m satisfied with the settlement terms. My items are intact, my car is fixed, my phone has been returned.

“I was not pressured to make the agreement I have never met Naira Marley. I have no relationship with Naira Marley. This is the first time of meeting him in person,” Ademola said.

In the dismissed charge, the police claimed that Marley’s brothers and cousins, while in a motorcade with Marley, stole a Toyota Camry vehicle with Registration No. FEE 120 AA valued at N1.8 million and an IPhone X5 worth N330,000 belonging to Mr Ademola.

The court heard that the three defendants and others at large assaulted the complainant by beating him up.

Okoi alleged that the second defendant, Babatunde Fashola and others at large obstructed the police while performing their lawful duty and prevented them from arresting Marley.

He sajd: “One of the vehicles in the musician’s motorcade hit the complainant’s vehicle from the back while he was throwing out money from his vehicle to his fans.

”When the complainant came down from the vehicle to inspect the damage, Obere entered the complainant’s Camry and drove it off with the motorcade. Ademola reported to the police and the vehicle was tracked to where it was parked at Jakande Crescent, Oniru in Lagos.

“When the police arrived at the location in company of the complainant, Naira Marley and his boys started beating the complainant.

“A group of boys obstructed the police from arresting the musician but they were able to apprehend the three defendants.”

He said the offences contravened Sections 112,172, 287 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The post Naira Marley hits US as court strikes out car theft charge appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

Chibunnam was arrested with an accomplice, Prince Nnabugwu, who confessed that they belonged to a car-snatching syndicate.

Parading the suspects at the Police Officers Mess in Umuahia, the state capital, the Commissioner of Police in Abia State, Leye Oyebade, said the suspects were arrested after stealing the Toyota Camry from where its owner packed it last Saturday.

Oyebade added that the suspects, who were arrested on Sunday based on a tip-off, confessed to have stolen six Toyota Camry cars from Aba and sold some of them to one Maxwell in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

Chibunnam, who is the founder of a new generation church identified as the Assembly of the Redeemed at Ohafia, said they did not snatch the car, but stole it from where it was parked.

He explained that it was their sixth in the last few months, adding that he usually sold the cars at 60,000 to one Maxwell who resided in Port Harcourt.

“Maxwell contacted me sometime last year to buy my car that I put up for sale, but he didn’t give me a good price for it, so, I couldn’t sell it to him. But when I stole an old model Toyota Camry last year, I called him to come and take the car I stole.

“We started having a misunderstanding when he requested the car’s original papers and I couldn’t provide them. I later told him that I stole the car. Maxwell became more interested in the business and gave me a master key with which I could steal Toyota Camry cars.”

Chibunnam, who said he used the money from the crime to fund his 30-member church, however, blamed the devil for his stealing lifestyle, promised not to return to crime if he was set free by the police.

Meanwhile, the Abia State CP has warned criminals in the state to relocate, saying the command would not relent in its war against criminality in the state.

The CP also advised members of the public to purchase their vehicles from only genuine car dealers.

Follow Us

The post Police arrests Abia pastor behind serial car theft appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

The suspect, Richard Akinwale, was trailed from Iju road, Fagba area, for about five hours by the RRS officers before he was eventually nabbed along Wempco road in Agindigbi.

A drop-out from Northern American University in Cotonou, Benin Republic, Akinwale reportedly gained entrance into the living room of his victim, Adelabu Tolani, through the ceiling to pick the car keys and carted away the vehicle along with other valuables.

While arriving at the RRS’s headquarters, the suspect, who owned up to the crime, added that he stole the car and other valuables of his helper deliberately to punish him for forgetting his birthday.

The suspect disclosed that his victim, Adelabu has been the sole financier of his university education, adding that he picked him up when everybody rejected him.

“I was accommodated into the Adelabu’s home about five years ago. I was able to have been part of the Adelabus being friend to his wife’s brother right from the Church camp. Living with him and his family was a privilege for me.

“He sponsored my educational career before I dropped out from the institution at final year. His wife was also very supportive. But I deliberately committed the offence because they asked me to move out of their house”.

It was gathered that the suspect who had in the past stole the same vehicle along with other personal effects of the Adelabus pleaded for mercy from the car’s owner before the owner could secure his release at the Ogonbo Police division in Ajah area, where the case was initially reported.

“This was my second time I stole the car. The first time was on my birthday on July 8th, 2016. I took the car far away from their sight. I wanted to part ways with them with the car to start a new life on my own. I think I deserve the car because I had laboured for them for long time, and they can’t just eject me out of that house like that. They must pay me back with that car”, he added.

The owner of the stolen vehicle, Tolani Adelabu said that he regretted lending out helping hands to the suspect by accommodating him under his roof.

“In fact, I am regretting to have rendered help to him. I don’t know any of his relatives. It was my brother in – law who brought him from Church camp.

“Then, I noticed that he needed accommodation and financial support, I kindly offered him without asking him to bring any of his relatives even his parents to me.

“He used to be a very jovial and kind person before he left for his university education in Benin Republic, but I discovered immediately after he returned to the country, his life style suddenly changed for bad.

“When I noticed this, I spoke with him as a father and advised him to have a change of mind. While talking to him, he opened up that he was no longer interested in going back to the institution, and I asked him why, he never told the reason till now”.

The victim stated that he sent him packing out of his house because he might be a bad influence on his children, “I sent him out because I don’t want him to corrupt good character of my children because they are grown-ups too’, he added.

According to him, “When he stole the car for the first time, I reported the case to nearby police station in Ogonbo in Ajah area.

“The Policemen arrested him the second day and he was detained for some days. After much pleading from him, I had to beg the DPO to release him that it was a family affair. I thought he would have a change of mind. To my surprise, after two days, he went back to my house to steal the car again.

“This time around, I went to RRS’ office to report him. We laid siege for him around Iju in Agege, where we later apprehended him in Ikeja”.

He said probably the suspect already had a waiting buyer for the car. “It is possible that he has gotten buyer for my car because I can’t comprehend why he insisted in stealing the vehicle”, he noted.

He further said: “On Monday July 10th, 2016, my wife called me that she can’t find the car again. She explained the suspect had gained entrance to our living room, took the car key and had absconded with it again despite the fact that we had changed all the keys to our apartment. But I was shocked to know that, he went through the ceiling this time around after entering the compound.”

While confirming the arrest, the Police Public Relation Officers (PPRO), Superintendent of Police, SP Dolapo Badmus, said that all hands are on deck to rid-off the state from all nefarious activities.

The suspect has been transferred to Lagos State Task Force on Environment for prosecution.

Follow Us

The post I can’t stop stealing my helper’s car – Suspect appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.