By GIWA Shile
Two employees of the Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC) on Tuesday appeared before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court charged with defrauding their employer of N1.2 million.
Olufemi Oladipupo, an accounts officer, and Akinwale Balogun, a fuel attendant, both aged 32 and working in an NNPC fuel station at Oregun, Lagos, were arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy, stealing and obtaining by false pretences.
The duo, however, pleaded not guilty.
The Prosecutor, Sgt. Michael Unah, said that they stole the N1.2 million by unlawfully reprinting POS receipts in the filling station to account for fuel purportedly sold.
Unah told the court that the accused committed the offences with others still at large on Nov. 20, 2018, at the filling station.
“The accused had been using reprint of POS transactions in the said station to collect money from attendants,” he said.
The alleged offences contravene Sections 287, 411 and 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Section 287 stipulates a seven-year jail term for stealing from one’s employer while Section 314 prescribes 15 years’ imprisonment for obtaining by false pretences.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr A. A. Fashola, granted the accused bail in the sum of N400, 000 each with two sureties in like sum.
Fashola ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed with an evidence of two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
He adjourned the case until Feb. 25, for hearing.
