Patience Ogbo/
Two men who stole the mobile phone of a businesswoman and used it to hack into her bank account have been jailed at a court in Lagos.
Femi Isedowo and Okechukwu Okon were sentenced to 18 months in prison for stealing the mobile phone belonging to Mrs Juliana Akusinanwa which they used to withdraw money from her account.
Isedowo and Okon were arraigned before Miss O. A Teluwo of Court 2 Yaba on a 3-Count charge of conspiracy to commit stealing, stealing and breach of peace contrary to Section 411, 287 and 168 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
The Defendants were accused of conspiring together to steal a Samsung phone J3 valued at N85, 000, which is the property of Mrs Akusinanwa and used the phone to transfer the sum of N300,000 from her GTB account to five different banks.
The complainant through a non-profit organization, the International Centre for Human Rights, Non Violence and Safety Awareness led by Barr. Mrs Ene Unobe filed a petition to the Lagos State Police Command which prompted the police to arrest the two suspects and charged them to court.
The prosecution, in proof of the allegation against the defendants called two witnesses, Mrs. Juliana Akusinawa, the nominal complainant and Sergeant John Anefu attached to Aswani Division, Isolo, in Lagos.
The trial commenced on November 5, 2018. The complainant testified that she is a businesswoman who trades in provisions and cosmetics. She further testified that shortly after waking up in her shop, she found out that her Samsung phone had been stolen and her money in her GTB account had been withdrawn without her consent.
The two defendants testified on behalf of themselves and pleaded not guilty.
Delivering the judgment, Magistrate Teluwo stated that the offence under section 411 is punishable under section 413 and the punishment under Section 287 of the criminal law of Lagos 2015.
She said that the prosecution had succeeded in proving the charge laid against the accused persons and she accordingly pronounced them guilty as charged in respect of Count 1 and Count 2 of the charge. She further stated that crime of this nature is prevalent in our society and the courts as preventive tools in the criminal justice system must not be seen to encourage the criminal act of this nature by giving light sentences.
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