Manager Arraigned For Stealing N2m Beverages

A warehouse manager, Akokhia Joseph, was on Monday arraigned by the police before an Ebute-Meta magistrate’s court for allegedly stealing beverages belonging to Vivian Osian, his employer, worth N2.2m.

The management of the company had given orders that the goods be given out. The Punch reports that Akokhia allegedly diverted some of them and replaced the goods in the warehouse with empty cartons.

The management further alleged that the warehouse manager also deleted stock data from the computers in order to cover up the crime.

 The company also stated that on several occasions, goods had been discovered missing in the warehouse, but instead, Akokhia would usually return the monetary value of the goods and eventually claim the goods were later found and sold.

It was also learnt that after his employer noticed some inconsistencies in the computer data and the missing warehouse goods, an auditor was invited to analyse the records, leading to the discovery of the theft. To this end, the 24-year-old manager was now arraigned on one count charge of stealing. The police told the court that Joseph stole from the warehouse between September 1, 2014 and January 12, 2015.

The court read the charge stating “That you, Akokhia Joseph, between September 1, 2014, and January 12, 2015, at Ojuelegba Road, Surulere, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did steal Nestle products valued at N2,264,597, property of one Vivian Osian, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 285(7) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011”

However, the defendant pleaded not guilty, while his defence counsel, Saka Bello, applied for his bail in liberal terms.

The magistrate, O. A. Komolafe, admitted him to bail in the sum of N1m with two sureties in like sum.

He said, “Both sureties must have the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency ID card. One of the sureties must be a relative, while the other must be a level 10 civil servant working with the Lagos State Government.”

The court adjourned the case till July 27.