Court remands labourer for alleged electric cable theft

A grade 1 Area Court, in Dei-Dei Community, a suburb of Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on Thursday ordered the remand of 30-year-old Awal Abdullahi, for allegedly stealing electric cable valued at N1 million.

Abdullahi, a resident of Lungu area of Gwarinpa village, Abuja, is standing trial for criminal trespass and theft.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him.

The prosecution counsel, Mr Chinedu Ogada, told the court that the complainant, one John Behora of Sunshine Estate Gwarinpa Abuja, had reported the matter at the Galadima Police Station on Dec. 30, 2022.

Ogada said that the complainant alleged that on Dec 28, the defendant criminally and smartly trespassed into the Estate without the consent of the owners and carted away the cable.

He said the defendant made away with the Estate electric cable valued N1million to unknown destination but was later caught and handed over to the police for proper investigation.

The prosecution counsel said during police investigation, the defendant made confessional statement, and said that he sold the cable to one Fahat Aliyu, for N1,000 only

He said the defendant further told the police that sometime ago, he stole piece of iron rod from the Estate and sold it to Aliyu for N1,200.

He said that the offences contravened the provisions of Sections 343 and 288 of Penal Code law.

The trial judge, Saminu Suleiman, ordered that Abdullahi be remanded in Correctional Service facility in Suleja, until Feb. 13, for hearing.