The Police, on Thursday arraigned a 38-year- old teacher, Julius Emmanuel in a Kado Grade 1 Area Court Abuja, for allegedly destroying farm crops worth N150,000.
The police charged Emmanuel of Life Camp extension, Abuja with criminal trespass, criminal force, assault and mischief.
The defendant however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Prosecution Counsel, Stanley Nwafoaku, told the court that on August 8, at about 6:36 p.m, Edwin Ikechukwu of Life Camp Abuja, reported the matter at Life Camp Police Station.
Nwafoaku alleged that, on the said date, after the complainant returned from his place of work, he discovered that the defendant criminally trespassed into a portion of his farm.
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He said, the complainant discovered that Emmanuel had ordered people to cut down economic trees, such as; banana, plantain, corn, pawpaw among others on the farmland all valued at N150, 000.
The Prosecution Counsel, however, alleged that Ikechukwu went to the farm to inquire from the defendant, the reason for his actions.
He said in the process of inquiry, Emmanuel ordered the people on the farm to beat him up which led to bruises on his body and loss of valuable documents from his bag.
He said during police investigation, the defendant confessed to committing the crime, adding that the offence contravened sections 342, 263, 270 and 327 of the penal code law.
The Defence Counsel, Charity Nwosu made an oral bail application, citing Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Section 158 of Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, assuring that the defendant would not jump bail, if granted.
The defence counsel also said the defendant would not interfere in the investigation, adding that the defendant has a reliable and gainfully employed surety.
The prosecution counsel, however, did not object to the bail application made by the defence counsel.
The Area Court Judge Mohammed Wakili, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N400,000 with one surety in like sum.
Wakili ordered that the defendant must provide reliable surety, who must reside within the jurisdiction of the court.
He added that the surety must provide a BVN print out, two recent passport photographs and a valid identification card, which must be verified by the court register.
The Judge adjourned the case until September 6 for hearing.
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