Workers charged with stealing chargers from lottery firm

Three lottery firm workers, Uchenna Ajoku, Isioma Uzor and Hassan Suraju, have been arraigned before an Ebute Meta Magistrate's Court for allegedly stealing five cartons of terminal chargers estimated at N1m.
The incident was said to have occurred on Funsho Williams Avenue in the Surulere area of Lagos State.
The three defendants were said to be employees of a popular Lagos lottery company, Premier Lotto Nigeria Ltd, akaBaba Ijebu.
It was learnt that the four cartons of chargers were reportedly missing from the company in July 2013.
The workers were said to have denied knowing anything about the disappearance of the chargers, which was said to be N200, 000 per carton.
On September 7, one of the company's supervisors was said to have noticed that another carton was missing and the attention of the management of the company was brought to the theft.
The police were said to have been informed to make investigations.
It was said the company decided to play back its CCTV, which revealed Uzor, taking a carton of the chargers.
A further play back exposed earlier thefts, showing Ajoku and Suraju making away with four of the chargers.
They were arraigned on two counts of stealing.
The charge read in part, "That you, Uchenna Ajoku, Ishioma Uzor, Hassan Suraju, and others now at large, between July and September 7, 2013, at Premier Lotto Nigeria Limited, No 112 Funsho Williams Avenue, Surulere, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire together to commit felony to wit; stealing."
The prosecutor, Mr. George Nwosu, said the offences were contrary to Sections 409, 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The magistrate, Mr. E.O. Ogunkanmi, who stood in for the presiding magistrate, Mr. Tunbosun Abolarinwa, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N200,000 each with two sureties in like sum.