LAGOS – A 30-year-old receptionist, Gladys Obaro, has appeared in a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly stealing N160,000 from her employer, using her Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card..
Obaro, a resident of No. 12, Balola Cooperative Estate, Badore in Lagos State, is facing a two-count charge of stealing.
She pleaded not guilty to both counts of the charge.
The prosecutor, SP Augustine Orji, told the court that Obaro, on December 5, stole the ATM card of her employer, one Mrs Ngozika Mba, valued at N1000, at Shop EE7, Ikota Shopping Centre, Ajah in Lagos State.
Orji said that at 10. 30 p.m. on the same day, Obaro went to an ATM machine located at Plot 6, Layi Crescent, Admiralty Way, Lekki in Lagos to illegally withdraw money from Mba’s account.
The prosecutor said that luck ran out on Obaro when Mba, upon getting SMS alerts on the illegal transactions, called her bank to deactivate her ATM.
Orji said that the accused had already withdrawn N160,000 from the account before the ATM was deactivated by the bank.
He said that Obaro had knowledge of Mba’s Personal Identification Number (PIN) because on one occasion, the complainant had divulged it to the accused to make payment for internet services in the office.
According to him, the offences contravene Section 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
Reports state that Section 285 prescribes three years’ imprisonment for anyone convicted of the offence of stealing.
It was also reported that Mba was in court as a witness for the prosecution.
The magistrate, Mrs Salama Matepo, granted the accused bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum.
Matepo adjourned the case to January 26, 2015 for mention.
