A 37-year-old mechanic, Idowu Yekini, who allegedly damaged a BMW belonging to a businessman,  on Thursday appeared in a Yaba Magistrates’ court in Lagos.

The police charged Yekini, who resides in Oregun area of Ikeja, Lagos, with willful damage of property.

Police Prosecutor Sgt. Godwin Oriabure told the court that the defendant committed the offence sometime in March, along Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

He said the complainant, Mr Shina Badru, gave his BMW 530 salon car with Registration No. JJJ 397 BB valued at N3 million to the defendant to fix the faulty engine.

Oriabure urther told the court that Badru had also paid the defendant N250,000 for the repairs on his car.

He said that the defendant had repaired the car but instead of returning it, traveled the his village at Ijebu, Ogun state with it.

“My Lord, on his way back, he had an accident with an immobile truck, he seriously damaged the car.

“When the matter was initially reported at the station, Yekini signed an undertaking to repair the car but has since failed to do so,” he said.

The offence contravened Section 350 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015 (Revised).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 350 prescribes a two-year jail term for the offence of willful damage to property.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Magistrate, Mrs S.O. Obasa, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N250,000 and two sureties in like sum.

Obasa ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed and show evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

He adjourned the case until June 19 for trial