Two panel beaters, Olawale Olaniyi and Kehinde Sulaiman, on Friday, appeared before a Tinubu Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing a Honda Element Jeep worth N3 million.

Olaniyi, 50 and Sulaiman, 38, of no fixed addresses, are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and theft.

The prosecutor, ASP Edet Okoi, told the court that the defendants committed the offences on Dec. 24, at 1:00p.m, at No. 50, Cambell St., Lagos Island.

Okoi said the defendants conspired to steal a Honda Element Jeep valued at N3 million belonging to a customer, Miss Umoh Aniesen-Koffi, who brought it for repairs.

He said the complainant was looking for where to repair the bumper of her vehicle, which was damaged by a commercial driver when a man approached her and offered to take her to a mechanic workshop.

The prosecutor said at the workshop, the defendants charged the complainant N3,000, which she agreed to pay and went to withdraw money from a nearby Automated Teller Machine.

Okoi said the complainant who handed over the car keys to the panel beaters, could not find the car at the workshop when she returned.

He said on enquiry by the complaint about her car, the defendants told her that they gave the keys to the man that brought her to the workshop.

The prosecutor said the complainant did not give instruction to the defendants to hand over her car keys to anyone.

Okoi said the offences Contravened Sections 287(10) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs O.O. Oshin, granted each of the defendants N500,000 bail with two sureties each in like sum.

She adjourned the case until Feb. 22, for mention.

NAN