Michael Shedrack, an unemployed man, was charged by the police on Thursday before a Kado Grade 1 Area Court in Abuja for allegedly stealing a cellphone valued at N740,000.
Shedrack was accused of theft without a permanent address by the police.
Mr. Abdalsalam Abdulsalam of Suleja, Niger, reported the incident at the Utako Police Station on January 15 at around 11:00 a.m., according to the prosecutor, Stanley Nwafoaku, who testified in court.
Nwafoaku claimed that on January 12, the complainant stopped at the Krystal Lounge in Wuse 11, Abuja, to inquire about how to get to a specific location.
He claimed that the accused and his accomplice, who is currently at large, contacted the complainant to help him park his car properly while stealing his iPhone 13 Pro, worth N740,000.
The offender was promptly arrested, and the prosecution informed the court. However, his sidekick made off with the phone to an unidentified location.
Shedrack allegedly confessed to the crime during the police probe, according to Nwafoaku.
According to him, the crime violated Sections 79 and 288 of the Penal Code.
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The accused entered a not-guilty plea to the accusation.
Charity Nwosu, the lawyer for the defendant, asked for the accused to get bail on the easiest terms possible.
She said that if granted bail, the defendant would not violate Nwosu’s commitment.
The prosecution attorney did not, however, object to the defense attorney’s request for bail.
Judge Muhammed Wakili granted the offender bail in the amount of N200,000 and one surety in the same amount.
Wakili said that the surety must show a printout of their BVN, a recent photo of themselves from their passport, and a valid ID that the court registrar must check.
The judge postponed the case until a hearing on March 16.
