Court discharges 4 men charged with stealing items worth N554,500

Court discharges 4 men charged with stealing items worth N554,500
NAN-H-64
Discharge
By Ugochi Ugochukwu
Abuja, April 26, 2017 (NAN) A Lugbe Upper Area Court, Abuja, on Wednesday discharged four men charged with stealing 11 bags of rice and other items worth N554,500.

The judge, Mr Garba Ugbede, discharged the defendants following an application by the prosecuting counsel, Mrs Aderonke Imana, who told the court to strike out the case for lack of interest by the complainant.
“Having heard the prosecution’s application to strike out the suit for lack of interest by the complainant, the case is hereby struck out.

“The defendants are also discharged of all criminal charges and the First Information Report (FIR) is hereby withdrawn,” Ugbede said.

He warned the four to desist from committing any criminal acts in future.

Shaiab Black, Emmanuel Oche, Andi Ogahi, Friday Ibe, Oche Audu and Anongo Terdoo, all of Sauka village, Airport Road, Abuja, were discharged on a two-count charge of joint act and theft.

The defendants, who had pleaded not guilty when they were arraigned in October 2016, were granted bail.
They had always appeared in court for the case, but the complainant refused to come to court to testify.

The prosecuting counsel had blamed the complainant, Ugwoke Jude of the same address, and sole witness, who reported the matter at Iddo Police Station for refusing to testify.

Earlier, Imana had told the court that the defendants broke into the complainant’s store on Oct. 21, 2016 and stole 11 bags of rice, four 25 litres containers of groundnut oil, among others.

She put the values of all the stolen items at N554,500.

The prosecuting counsel said that during police investigation, Black confessed to the crime, while others could not give satisfactory account of themselves.

She said the crime contravened Sections 79 and 287 of the Penal Code. (NAN
UGO/ORO/OU

============

Edited by Razak Owolabi /Obike Ukoh
================