Ondo Court Remands 18-Year-Old Son, Mother Over Alleged ₦3.8m Supermarket Theft.

 

An Osi Magistrate’s Court in Ondo State has ordered the remand of an 18-year-old student, Sunday Samuel, and his mother, Blessing Ode, over the alleged theft of goods and cash worth about ₦3.8 million from a supermarket in Iju.

The defendants were arraigned on seven counts bordering on conspiracy, breaking into a shop, stealing, obstruction of arrest, concealing a felony and receiving stolen property.

The prosecution alleged that Samuel and other suspects still at large conspired to break into the supermarket owned by Obafemi Catherine and steal goods and cash.

According to the prosecution, the first alleged incident occurred in 2025 at College Road, Iju, while another theft reportedly took place at about 3am on August 27, 2026, at the supermarket opposite Sabo, Iju.

Items allegedly stolen during the incidents included plates, baby products, shoes, clothes, bags, drinks, cosmetics, food items, perfumes, wine and an Itel Android phone, among others.

The prosecution valued the items allegedly stolen during the first incident at ₦1.363 million, while those allegedly taken during the August 27 incident were valued at ₦2.427 million.

The court was also told that Samuel was captured on CCTV while allegedly breaking into the supermarket.

In counts five to seven, the prosecution accused his mother, Blessing, of attempting to prevent his arrest, concealing some of the allegedly stolen items and receiving property said to have been stolen.

The prosecution alleged that when police officers went to arrest Samuel at his mother’s residence on September 2, 2026, she claimed that he was not at home.

The charge sheet stated that officers eventually forced open the door to her room, where Samuel was allegedly found lying on her bed.

Blessing was further accused of hiding some of the items allegedly stolen by her son in a bush and receiving other property, including an Itel phone, Lisbon drink, CT+ cream, Hummer Code perfume, Skin Doctor cream, Viva Plus detergent and Maggi, among others.

At the resumed proceedings, the prosecutor, Awana Josephine, asked the court to adjourn the matter to enable her to study the case file and prepare her witnesses.

Defence counsel, Godwin Bernard, however, urged the court to grant the defendants bail on liberal terms, assuring that they would remain available throughout the trial.

The prosecution opposed the bail application and asked the court to remand the defendants, describing the mother as a bad influence on her son.

In her ruling, Magistrate Bukola Ojo ordered that the defendants be remanded in custody.

Blessing was ordered to be remanded at the Ondo Correctional Facility, while her son, Samuel, was remanded at the Olokuta Correctional Centre.

The case was adjourned until September 24, 2026, for hearing.

The allegations against the defendants remain unproven until determined by the court.