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 alleged theft of goods and cash worth about N3.8m from a supermarket at Iju, Ondo State.
The defendants were charged with 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 others at large conspired to break into the supermarket belonging to one Obafemi Catherine and stole goods and cash.
The prosecution said the first incident occurred in 2025 at College Road, Iju, while another alleged theft took place around 3am on August 27, 2026, at the supermarket opposite Sabo, Iju.
According to the charge sheet, 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 in the first incident at N1.363million, while those allegedly stolen during the August 27 incident were valued at N2.427million.
The court was also told that Samuel was captured by a CCTV camera while allegedly breaking into the supermarket.
In counts five to seven, the prosecution accused Samuel’s mother, Blessing, of attempting to prevent her son’s arrest, concealing some of the stolen items and receiving some of the alleged stolen property.
The prosecution alleged that when the police went to arrest Samuel at his mother’s residence on September 2, 2026, she claimed that he was not at home.
The charge sheet further stated that the door to her room was eventually forced open, where Samuel was allegedly found lying on her bed.
The prosecution further alleged that Blessing hid some of the items allegedly stolen by her son in a bush and received other stolen items, 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, urged the court to adjourn the case to enable her study the case file and prepare her witnesses.
However, counsel for the defendants, Godwin Bernard, prayed the court to admit his clients to bail in the most liberal terms, assuring that they would be available throughout the trial.
She opposed the bail application made by the defence counsel and prayed the court to remand the defendants in custody, describing the mother as a bad influence on her son.
In her ruling, the Magistrate, Bukola Ojo, ordered the remand of the defendants in custody.
The magistrate ordered that Blessing be remanded at the Ondo Correctional Facility, while her son, Samuel, was remanded at the Olokuta Correctional Centre.
The case was adjourned to September 24, 2026, for hearing.