The Force Police Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, has cautioned Nigerians against the collection, possession, or purchase of stolen items.
In a post on X.com on Friday, Adejobi cited Section 427 of the Criminal Code Act, emphasizing the legal consequences of such actions.
According to Section 427, “Any person who receives anything which has been obtained by means of any act constituting a felony or misdemeanor, or by means of any act done at a place not in Nigeria, which if it had been done in Nigeria would have constituted a felony or misdemeanor, and which is an offense under the laws in force in the place where it was done, knowing the same to have been so obtained, is guilty of a felony.”
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“If the offense by means of which the thing was obtained is a felony, the offender is liable to imprisonment for fourteen years, except in the case in which the thing so obtained was the postal matter, or any chattel, money or valuable security contained therein, in which case the offender is liable to imprisonment for life. In any other case, the offender is liable to imprisonment for seven years.”
Adejobi stressed the importance of verifying the origins of items to avoid criminal charges.
“Receiving stolen property is a criminal offense. Don’t receive, keep, or buy items you are not sure of their sources. Such could be dangerous and land someone in prison. See sec 427 of the criminal code,” he wrote.
He further explained that proof of possession alone is sufficient for conviction.
“For the purpose of proving the receiving of anything, it is sufficient to show that the accused person has, either alone or jointly with some other person, had the thing in his possession, or has aided in concealing it or disposing of it.”
