Court Jails 2 Men For Breaking Into FG’s Warehouse 

Two men, Umar Muhammed and Ibrahim Musa, were today convicted and sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, by a Lagos Federal High Court, for breaking into the Federal government warehouse, located at the Nigerian Customs Service, Ikeja, Lagos.

Justice Akintayo Aluko who presided over the court, convicted and sentenced the men, after the prosecutor, Mr. Michael Osong, reviewed the facts of the charges against them.

The two convicts were arraigned before the court on March 14, on charges of unlawful access to the warehouse and wilful willfully destruction of seized vehicles parked in the Warehouse.

The prosecutor, Mr. Osong, while arraigning the two convicts informed the court that the convicts illegally entered the warehouse between December, 2023 and January 2024.

He informed the court that the convicts, after entering the warehouse unlawfully destroyed some of the seized vehicles packed in the warehouse, as well destroyed some cables and wires in the in the warehouse.

He told the court that the offences committed by the convicts contravened section 133(1) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and punishable under the same Section of the same Act. 

The convicts have pleaded guilty to the charges, when they were arraigned.

Consequently, Justice Aluko adjourned till today for review of facts and sentence.

At the resumed review of facts of the matter today, the prosecutor called a witness, Usman Maigari, an Assistant Superintendent of Customs (ASC) attached to Federal Operation Unit (FOU) Ikeja, Lagos.

In his evidence, the witness told the court how the convicts illegally entered the warehouse and burgled the place.

The witness also tendered the convicts’ confessional statements, parts of the vehicles, the cables and wires vandalized by the convicts, which were admitted as exhibits by the court.

Upon conclusion of the reviewing the facts of the charge, the prosecutor urged the court to sentence based on their plea, exhibits tendered, and in accordance with the sections of the Acts they were charged with.

However, the convicts’ lawyer, Mr. Henry Orarotimi, who represented them Pro Bono (free of charge) pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy in sentencing the convict. Adding that the convicts are first time offenders without any record of previous conviction.

Orarotimi particularly urged court to grant them fine option or non-custodian sentence in lieu of the jail-term.

Justice Aluko in his judgment, after taken submissions from counsel, sentenced the convicts to 12 months imprisonment on each of the counts. But held that the sentences should concurrently.

The judge however ordered the two convicts to pay the sum of N100, 000, 00 each, in lieu of the jail-term.

Charges Against The Convicts Read: “That, you Umar Muhammad, Male, Adult of Garbula, Biu Local Government Area of Bornu State and Ibrahim Musa, Male, Adult of Ijebu Mushin in Ogun State between December, 2023 and January 2024 in the Nigeria Customs Service Government Warehouse, Ikeja, within the Jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria did obtain access to the Nigeria Customs Service Government Warehouse, Ikeja without lawful authority and there by committed an offence contrary to Section 133(1) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and punishable under the same Section of the same Act. 

“That you Umar Muhammad, Male, Adult of Garbula, Biu Local Government Area Bornu State and Ibrahim Musa, Male, Adult of Ijebu Mushin in Ogun State between December, 2023 and January 2024 in the Nigeria Customs Service Government Warehouse in the Nigeria Customs Service Government Warehouse, Ikeja, within the Jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria did willfully destroy seized vehicles parked in the Government Warehouse and there by committed an offence contrary to Section 133(3) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and punishable under the same Section of the same Act.”