Security guard in court for allegedly stealing businessman’s international passports

A 44-year-old security guard, Sebastian Onofua, who allegedly stole two international passports with German permanent residency permit belonging to a businessman, on Friday appeared in a Yaba Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

The defendant, who works as a security guard at the Air France and KLM ticketing offices, is charged with two counts of theft and obtaining by false pretence.

The Prosecutor, Sgt. Godwin Oriabure, told the court that the defendant committed the offence at 4.30 p.m., on Oct. 7, 2018, at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

He said that Onofua collected the old and new international passports belonging to the complainant, Mr John Agunwa’son on the pretext of buying a flight ticket back to Germany.

Oriabure alleged that the defendant told the complainant that he had a safe in his office, where his passports would be kept well.

He alleged that the defendant later claimed that the two passports were stolen from him on his way home.

“The complainant later discovered that Onofua was a security guard and not a ticketing officer like he said.

”The police has not been able to recover the passports,” he said.

The offence. he said, contravened the provisions of sections 314 and 287 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 314 stipulates 15 years imprisonment for the offence of obtaining by false pretence, while stealing carries three years.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Magistrate Oluwatoyin Ojuromi admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Ojuromi ordered that one of the sureties must be a blood relation of the defendant who resides within the court’s jurisdiction.

She also ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed with evidence of three years tax payment to Lagos State Government.

She adjourned the case until July 5 for trial.

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