A 32-year-old Uber driver, Ifeanyi Emmanuel, was on Monday brought before a Sabo, Yaba magistrates’ court in Lagos for allegedly stealing a Toyota Camry car valued N2.5million from his employer.
Emmanuel, who resides in Oke-Arin area of Ogun state, is facing a two-count charge of stealing and breach of employment contract.
He pleaded not guilty.
Police prosecutor, Insp. Magaji Haruna, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on Sept. 15, 2020, at No. 15, Noble str., in Alagomeji area of Yaba, Lagos.
According to him, the defendant was sometime in 2019, given a Toyota Camry car with Registration No. KTU 498 FE, by the complainant, Mr Sanusi Gafar, to drive on the Uber platform.
He said that the defendant had agreed to pay N30,000 to the complainant every week but went ahead to illegally sell the car to another person.
He stated that the defendant removed the tracker in the car, changed his phone number and moved out of his house so he could not be traced.
Haruna said that the complainant got to know of the car sale when the buyer got his number from the car documents and called him, asking for the originals of the car papers.
The offence contravened Section 287 (1) and 212 (1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 287 (1) prescribes a three-year jail term for the offence of stealing.
In her ruling, the Chief Magistrate, Mrs O.Y. Adefope, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000 with two responsible sureties in like sum.
She said that the sureties must be gainfully employed and show evidence of three years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
She adjourned the case until April 4, for mention.