A 30 -year-old unemployed Abiodun Moses, who had earlier  pleaded guilty to snatching a phone valued N120,000, on Friday changed his plea as he was about to be sentenced.

Moses on June 24, appeared at an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court and was remanded at the Kirikiri Prisons, Apapa police after pleading guilty to the charge.

He was scheduled for facts and sentence on July 5.

However, when Magistrate O.A. Aderibigbe was about to sentence him, he changed his plea to not guilty; saying that he earlier pleaded guilty because he did not understand the charge.

Aderibigbe, therefore, granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties, who should be gainfully employed, and must show evidence of two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

Moses, a resident of Agege, Lagos, is being tried for stealing.

According to the prosecutor, Insp Mojirade Edeme, the defendant committed the offence on June 19 at Agege, Lagos.

She said that the defendant stole the phone worth N120,000 from Mrs Abiodun Apata.

“The complainant was going to work when the defendant attacked her, snatched her phone and took to his heels.

The complainant raised an alarm shouting thief, thief; people pursued him and he quickly passed the phone to his accomplice.

“Moses was arrested while his accomplice escaped with the phone,” the prosecutor said.

She said the offence contravened Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the offence attracts three years imprisonment if the defendant is convicted.

Aderibigbe adjourned the case until July 26 for mention.

BE

– July 5, 2019 @ 15:09 GMT |