For allegedly stealing phones during a church service, the Police on Monday charged a mother of two at the Wuse Zone II Magistrates’ Court in Abuja.
The 26-year-old defendant, Chisom Nwogbo, who describes herself as a makeup artist, is accused of stealing and criminal conspiracy on two counts, which she denies.
According to police prosecutor Oyeyemi Adeniyi, on 13 September a Miss Esther Silas of Mana Apartment in Dawaki, Abuja, petitioned the Commissioner of Police in Abuja about the case.
Oyeyemi claimed that on September 10, the defendant went to Inspiration Life Community Church in the Jahi neighbourhood of Abuja dressed as a worshipper and committed the offence.
He continued, accusing Nwogbo of robbing the complainant and her friends of five phones: an iPhone 14 Pro Max, a Samsung Galaxy A32, an iPhone X5, a Techno Pop 5, and a black purse.
He claims that the phones were located during an investigation in Idu, Abuja, where the defendant was detained.
He went on to say that a search of the defendant’s home turned up the black handbag, Techno, and iPhones.
She then admitted to the police that she had sold the other phones to Paul, also known as Daddy Fresh, who is currently on the run.
According to him, “the defendant admitted to the police that she had visited five different churches in the FCT and had stolen phones of worshippers using similar methods.”
It was eventually discovered, according to Oyeyemi, that the complainants’ accounts had been emptied of the sums of N150,000 and N1.3 million.
He mentioned that the defendant had also turned over an iPhone XS and a Samsung, both worth N2 million.
The prosecution claimed that the offences were in violation of sections 97 and 288 of the Penal Code.
In his application for bail on behalf of his client, defence attorney Ophie Ogheneyerowho said that “the defendant is currently nursing a baby.”
The defendant, he continued, had assisted the police in their investigation and freely provided all the information they needed.
If granted bail, he assured the court that the defendant would obey it, and he added that dependable sureties were standing by to act as the defendant’s substitutes.
However, he urged the court to give release to his client under the most lenient conditions possible, pointing out that the “defendant is innocent until proven guilty.”
Despite not objecting to the defendant’s bail, the prosecutor encouraged the court to exercise discretion wisely.
The defendant was granted bail by the magistrate, Izinyon Ibironke, in the amount of N2 million with two sureties, each of whom had to be residents of the court’s territorial authority and be in possession of a source of income.
The matter was postponed until October 19th, 2016 for a hearing after she instructed the court personnel to verify the sureties’ addresses.
