30-year-old businessman on trial for alleged extortion

A 30-year-old businessman, Dikiechi Ibe, on Monday appeared before a Gwagwalada Magistrates’ Court for alleged extortion.

The police charged Dikechi of Suleja, Niger State with one-count of extortion.

The Prosecution Counsel, Abudulahi Tanko, told the the court that the matter was reported at the Police Station by one Akin Oyemade of Dei-Die, Abuja on January 6.

Tanko said the complainant boarded a vehicle from Lagos to Abuja and alighted at opposite Galaxy Hotel, Gwagwalada, but was stranded and the complainant pretended to be of help.

He said the defendant demanded the complainant to buy a bottle of alcohol and cigarette for him and later attacked the complainant, threatening to kill him if he refused to hand over his belongings to him.

He said the defendant forcefully collected his Tecno Camon 15 valued at N81,000 and a cash sum of N10,000.

Tanko said the offence contravened the provision of section 291 of the Penal Code.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty.

The defence counsel, Lucky Ijeboh, in his bail application prayed the court to grant his client bail in the most liberal terms, citing Sections 158, 162 and 163 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

Ijeboh said the defendant, if admitted to bail, would not jump bail and would always make himself available to the court.

The Magistrate, Yusuf Ibrahim, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N200,000 with two reasonable sureties in like sum, who must reside within the court’s jurisdiction.

Ibrahim said the sureties must undertake to an affidavit to forfeit the bail bond if the defendant jumped bail.

He also ordered that the defendant and the sureties must provide valid means of identification to the satisfaction of the court.

He said the defendant must provide a print out of his Bank Verification Number and adjourned the case until March 3 for hearing.