Man in court for stealing ₦4.8m car

A 21-year-old man was arraigned in Ibadan for allegedly stealing an Opel Zafira car valued at ₦4.8 million.

A 21-year-old man, Daniel Obidikwu, was on Wednesday arraigned before a Mapo Grade A Customary Court in Ibadan, for allegedly stealing an Opel Zafira car valued at N4.8 million. Obidikwu, however, pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge of stealing.

The court’s President, Mrs O.E. Owoseni, subsequently granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000, with two reliable sureties in like sum. She said that the sureties must be blood relations to the defendant. Owoseni added that each surety must provide evidence of three years’ tax payment to the Oyo State Government. She adjourned the case until Oct. 29, for trial.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp Ayodele Ayeni, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on July 27, at about 6 p.m., at Joke Plaza Shopping Complex, Bodija, Ibadan. Ayeni alleged that Obidikwu stole the Opel Zafira, with Registration No. AGG302EA, valued at N4.8 million, from where it was parked. He said that the car belonged to Mrs Omotola Odubiyi.

The case is a reminder of the prevalence of vehicle theft in Nigeria. The bail conditions, including three years’ tax payment, are a reflection of the court’s effort to ensure the defendant appears for trial.

This echoes the 2022 vehicle theft cases in Oyo State, which also saw suspects arraigned in court. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a justice system processing cases.

The winners: the legal system, which is processing the case; and the victim, who may see justice. The losers: the defendant, who faces trial; and the Nigerian public, who must deal with vehicle theft.

Bottom Line: A 21-year-old is in court for stealing a ₦4.8 million car. The trial begins in October. The question is whether justice will be served.