A Yaba Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday remanded a man, Emeka Elendu, and his wife, Chinyere Elendu, for allegedly stealing shoes valued at N70m.

The police arraigned the couple before Magistrate Adeola Olatunbosun on three counts of stealing.

The police prosecutor, Rita Momoh, told the court that the Elendus committed the crime in March 2021 at Balogun Market, Lagos Island.

According to Momoh, the offences are punishable under sections 411 and 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015.

The charges read in part, “That you, Emeka Elendu and Chinyere Elendu, sometime in March 2021, at No 32, Shop 15, Baloguin Market, Lagos Island, Lagos State, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire together to commit felony, to wit, obtaining goods valued at N70m by false pretences and stealing ladies’ shoes, property of one Luo, a Chinese.”

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Their counsel prayed the court to grant them bail in liberal terms.

Magistrate Olatunbosun granted them bail in the sum of N5m each with two responsible sureties in like sum.

She ordered that they be remanded in prison until their bail terms were fulfilled.

The case was adjourned till March 8, 2023.