A 28-year-old man, Olamilekan Olaoluwa, was
arrested by policemen from the Iponri division
after breaking into a home in the Ebute-Meta
area of Lagos State. He allegedly broke into
the home on Brickfield Road on Sunday around
2pm, stole some clothes, wristwatches and some
other valuables.
Then he went into the kitchen and took a can of
malt from the fridge to drink, unfortunately for
him, the owner of the home walked in on him
and raised the alarm which drew the attention of
residents who beat up the suspect before
handing him over to the police.
Olaoluwa, who claimed to have spent six years
to train as a plumber, said he did not have a job
and was homeless.
He said:
“I am a secondary school dropout. I do not
have a permanent place of abode, but I
sometimes sleep in the Oko Baba Sawmill in
Ebute-Meta.
“I don’t always steal from people. On
Sunday, November 22, around 2pm, I was
passing by when I saw that the gate was
slightly opened and that made it easy for me
to enter.
“I broke the padlock and entered the sitting
room where I removed the Plasma TV. I then
entered the bedroom and took the woman’s
husband underwears and wristwatches.
“I also took the handset and the TV’s remote
control. I opened the fridge and took a can
of malt and drank it. I was going downstairs
when I saw the woman. She asked who I
was and what I was doing in her house.
“I asked her not to shout, but she shouted
and people came inside the house.”
The police said the suspect was arrested with
the Plasma TV valued at N150,000; two
wristwatches valued at N50,000; underwear
estimated at N10,000; a mobile phone valued at
N5,000, adding that everything summed up to
N215,000.
The Investigating Police Officer, Chukwuocha
Augustine, arraigned the suspect on Tuesday
before an Ebute-Meta Magistrates’ Court on four
counts of burglary, malicious damage, breach of
the public peace and stealing.
The defendant pleaded guilty to all the charges.
The Magistrate, Mrs. O.O.A. Fowowe-Erusiafe,
ruled that Olaoluwa be remain in prison custody.
She adjourned the case till November 30 for
facts and sentence.
Punch