Dangote Refinery logo
By Our Reporter
Dangote Refinery one of the companies of the Dangote conglomerate is in the news again. This time, eight staff of Dangote Refinery namely Larry Irek, Pius Omeke, Jasper Dick, Gideon Idah, Ojey Jerry Endurance, Hassan Saidu, Igwe David, and Nweke Chike were arrested and arraigned for theft.
They were arraigned before a Federal High Court in Ikoyi Lagos for tampering with electrical cables, property of the company.
The defendants were arraigned before the court on a two-count charge of conspiracy and unlawful removal of electrical cables.
They pleaded not guilty to the charge.
An interpreter explained the charge in Hausa language to one of the defendants who did not understand English language.
The police prosecuting counsel ACP Effiong Asuquo told the court to fix a trial date, while the defendants should be remanded in Ikoyi Correctional Center, pending trial.
Asuquo alleged that the defendants committed the offence sometime in July, 2021 at the Dangote Petrochemical and Oil Refinery Free Zone Export at Ibeju Lekki Lagos.
He said they conspired to unlawfully tamper with the electric cables without authority by illegally removing the cables which were used for transmitting and converting electricity in the said petrochemical refinery
The offences alleged to have been committed by the defendants contravenes the provisions of Sections 1(9) and 3 (6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17 Laws of the Federation, 2004.
The defence counsel Mr Makolo Anthony said he is applying for a short adjournment to enable him file application for bail on behalf of the defendants but the presiding Judge,Justice Peter Lifu adjourned the case till 19 January 2022, for trial and said he would hear the bail application anytime it is filed by their counsel..
He ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre, pending hearing of their bail application.
