BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
A couple has been accused of stealing a tricycle in Ebonyi State. The duo, named Mr and Mrs Wisdom Chizaram, from Abakaliki Local Government Area of the state, were said to have stolen a Bajaj tricycle with Registration Number NKE 056 VC, valued at N890, 000, property of one Nwaomekara Kenneth.
While Wisdom was said to have absconded with the tricycle, his wife was arraigned before a Magistrate’s Court sitting in Abakaliki alongside the fleeing suspect’s uncle over allegation of theft.
They were slammed with two-count-charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing.
The Point correspondent gathered that Kenneth gave his Bajaj tricycle to Wisdom on hire purchase agreement in the sum of N1.2 million while his wife and uncle stood as sureties in the agreement.
The couple allegedly relocated from their Abakaliki residence to another city when their payment balance got to N890, 000 without informing the tricycle owner and also stopped the weekly remittance of money as agreed for months.
Okoroafor Chika, Wisdom’s uncle, was said to have assisted the police in apprehending the wife as her husband was still at large with the stolen tricycle.
The defendants were docked on two-count-charge of conspiracy and stealing.
The charge against them read that “You (defendants) and one other at large, between the months of March and April 2022, did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit: conspiracy/ stealing and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 516A(a) of the Criminal Code, Cap 33, Volume 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.
“You (defendants) and one other at large on the same months, date and place in the aforementioned magisterial district did steal a Bajaj tricycle with Registration Number AZXWMB57259, and Chasis number MD2A25BXOMWB74544 valued at N890,000 (Eight hundred and ninety thousand naira) property of one Nwaomekara Kenneth and thereby committed offence punishable under Section 390 of the Criminal Code, Cap 33, Volume 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.”
They pleaded not guilty and their counsel, Eleke Samson, applied for their bail, which was not opposed by the prosecutor.
The trial Magistrate, Happiness Chima, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N100, 000 each with one reliable adult surety each in the same amount. The sureties are to be resident within the jurisdiction of the court.
Chima added that the sureties should deposit their tax payment certificates for 2020, 2021 and 2022, and their full photographs and those of the defendants.
The matter was adjourned till June 14 for hearing.
