Court remands two civil servants for alleged robbery

A Makurdi Chief Magistrates’ Court on Monday remanded two civil servants in the state in prison custody for alleged armed robbery, conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.
The accused persons, Atagher Eryum and Ashoja Odubo, are cashier and driver with the state Ministry of Finance in Makurdi.
The Prosecuting Police Officer, Sergeant Gabriel Ebonyi, told the court that the accused persons had reported at the ‘B’ Division Police Station, Makurdi on June 5 that they were robbed.
Ebonyi said the accused persons told the police that they went to a commercial bank in Makurdi and withdrew N17.8 million belonging to the ministry and which was meant for office use.
They further reported that they were, however, attacked and robbed of the whole money on reaching IBB Square Junction by four armed men riding a Toyota Camry car.
The prosecution further told the court that the accused persons’ explanations were not satisfactorily accepted by the police, so they were subsequently arrested in connection with the lost sum.
During police investigation, it was discovered that the accused persons withdrew the money without any escort or security details and they were also found with a magazine containing 27 live ammunitions of AK 47 rifle.
The prosecutor said that the accused persons could not give satisfactory account of how they got the ammunitions when they were asked.
Ebonyi said the accused persons committed the offences, which contravened Sections 315, 140 and 1 (1) (2) and 6 (a) (b) and (c) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
When the case came up for mention, pleas were not taken for want of jurisdiction.
Prosecution said investigation into the matter was still in progress and asked the court for another date for mention.
The Chief Magistrate, Dan Ogoh, adjourned the matter to July 19 for further mention.