Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Police Force Public Relations Officer, has advised Nigerians not to gather, retain, or purchase stolen goods.

Adejobi made reference to Section 427 of the Criminal Code Act in a post on X.com on Friday, 19 July 2023. This section states that receiving stolen goods with the knowledge that they were obtained through a felony or misdemeanour is a crime.

According to Section 427 of the Criminal Code Act, “Any person who receives anything which has been obtained by any act constituting a felony or misdemeanor, or by any act done at a place not in Nigeria, which, if it had been done in Nigeria, would have constituted a felony or misdemeanour, and which is an offence 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.”

“If the offence through 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.”

To prove the receiving of anything, the accused must demonstrate that he had the item in his possession, either alone or in conjunction with another person, or that he had helped to conceal or dispose of it. Adejobi issued a warning to Nigerians, informing them that obtaining stolen goods is illegal and may result in jail time. He urged individuals to be cautious and not accept, hold, or purchase anything until they are sure of their sources. Such could be harmful and result in imprisonment. See Criminal Code, Section 427.

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