Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
A 27-year-old woman, Blessing Chuks was yesterday, arraigned before an Ogbeson Chief Magistrates’ Court in Benin, for allegedly stealing Itel W5504 Phone from a Female pastor.
The defendant is being tried for stealing.
The Police Prosecutor, Insp. Charity Asemota, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on Feb 15, at 2nd Obareware street, Off Upper Mission Road, Benin in the Ogbeson Magisterial District of Edo.
Asemota alleged that the defendant did steal the Itel phone valued N58,000, a property of Rev. Josey Ibash
The prosecutor said the offences contravened the provisions of Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code Cap. 48 Vol. 11, Laws of the defunct Bendel State of Nigeria, 1976, now applicable in Edo.
The section prescribed seven years imprisonment, if found guilty.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge, adding that she picked the phone on the ground.
“I did not steal the phone but, I picked it up from the ground”, she said.
The Chief Magistrate, Prince Mutairu Oare however admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N50,000 with one surety in like sum.
The Chief Magistrate said the surety must be responsible.
He then adjourned the case until June 9, for further hearing.
At the time of filing the report, the defendant has not perfected her Bail application.
The defendants/suspects are no longer admitted into correctional centres in order to curtail the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, any defendant who could not perfect his or her bail condition before close of today, will then be taken to the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID)