A magistrates’ court in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State, yesterday granted bail to a man who is accused of stealing N100 million from a bank’s bullion van.
According to the police Ikechukwu Moses Nwankwo, the defendant, was charged with conspiring to perpetrate the crime on November 18 at Ogoja Road in Abakaliki with other fugitives.
Sergeant Obi Eberechukwu, the police prosecutor, further revealed to the court that the defendant had allegedly stolen a bullion van worth N15 million while working with others.
The alleged offenses are punishable under Sections 390(a)(b) and 516A(a) of the Criminal Code, Cap 33, Volume 1 Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria 2009 and Section 516A(a) of the Criminal Code, Cap 33, Volume 1 Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria 2009.
The defendant was accused of failing to provide information regarding the whereabouts of the bullion van and the N100 million that he was ordered to transport to Ebonyi State.
Nwankwo pleaded not guilty to the three counts of accusations, and his defense attorney, Ebere Origbo, requested the most lenient bail conditions possible for him.
The defendant was then granted bail in the amount of N1 million and one surety in the same amount by Magistrate Happiness Chima.
According to her, the surety must reside within the court’s geographic jurisdiction, own a landed property near Onwe Road in Abakaliki, and have a tax clearance certificate for the years 2021 and 2022.
The magistrate further stated that the surety would be required to provide the court with two recent full-size photographs of both himself and the defendant, as well as addresses that could be verified.
