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A 32-year-old man who’s name has been given as Itumo Sunday, has appeared before an Abakaliki Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing property worth ₦9,900,000 from a storehouse.
The Eastern Updates reports that Sunday, whose address was not provided, is facing three counts of conspiracy, breaking in and stealing.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The prosecutor, Inspector Bassey Okon, told the court that the defendant committed the offences sometime in April 2023 in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi state capital.
Okon said the defendant broke into the storehouse of the complainant, Nwakpu Ikechukwu, and stole his property.
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According to him, the defendant, Sunday and others now at large broke into the storehouse and stole iron rods valued at N9,900,000.
The prosecutor noted that the offence is punishable under Section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code, Cap 33, Vol. 1 Laws of Ebonyi State 2009.
The defence counsel, Ebere Orie-Adagba, prayed the court to grant the defendant bail.
The magistrate, Ojemba Isu-Oko, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N100,000 and a surety in like sum.
Isu-Oko ordered that the surety must be a resident within the court’s jurisdiction.
He subsequently adjourned the case until April 17.
In another report, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has told Justice Oyindamola Ogala of the Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, that the Chairman of Ibeto Energy Development Company, Cletus Ibeto, has paid back ₦1.5bn in two tranches in respect of the ₦4.8bn fraud allegations for which he was charged before the court.
Counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs SAN also told the judge that the defendant paid the money as part of the ongoing plea bargain discussion between the anti-graft agency and the defendants.
The senior counsel also said that the defendants have agreed to pay the balance within the next three months.
