A 23-year-old Jimoh Bamigboye, a sales representative with Media Trust Ltd, publishers of Daily Trust Newspapers, was on Friday brought before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing his employer’s N300,000.

The accused was arraigned before the Magistrate, Mrs E. Kubeinje, on a charge of stealing. Jimoh, who resides at No. 4, Folarin Williams Close, Ipaja, a Lagos suburb, however, pleaded not guilty and was admitted to a bail of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Kubeinje said the sureties should be gainfully employed but not self-employed with an evidence of two years tax payments to the Lagos State Government. She, however, said the accused should remain in Kirikiri Prisons pending when the bail conditions would be met. According to the Prosecutor, Police Sgt. N. Kenrich, the accused committed the offence on Feb. 2 at 5.20 p. m. on Acme Road, Ogba in Ikeja area of Lagos.

He told the court that the accused came into the accounts department to lodge teller for newspapers sold but on confirmation by the cashier through bank statement, she discovered that the amount on the statement was lesser than what was on the teller presented for payment.

“When he was asked why he needed to go to the bank for correction, the accused confided in the cashier and other accounts department staff members to cover up for him so that he could pay at a later date.

“Upon verification of other payments made in the past, it was discovered that many of such sharp practices had happened for about three months past,” Kenrich said.

He alleged that the accused used the company’s money to attend to his health issues.

The offence contravened Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the section stipulates seven years imprisonment for offenders.

The case has been adjourned until March 14 for mention.