The Police on Tuesday arraigned a 20-year-old taxi driver, Idris Ahmed of Piwonyi village, Airport Road, Abuja, before an Abuja Senior Magistrates’ Court for joint act and theft.
Police prosecutor Paul Anigbo told the court that the case was reported at the Lugbe Police Station by one Racheal Odeh of Zone 5, Lugbe, Abuja, on Aug. 27.
Anigbo said that on Aug. 26, Odeh boarded Ahmed’s Taxi from Area 3 Junction to Lugbe where she resides.
He said that the accused, on reaching new Kuchingoro stopped his vehicle under the pretext of discharging a passenger and connived with the same passenger, who forcefully snatched the complainant’s handbag from her.
The prosecutor said the handbag contained a Nokia C1 phone, perfume, roll-on, a pair of shoes,?jewelry, a make-up bag, a school identity card and the sum of N19,960.
He said the offences contravened the provisions of Sections 79 and 287 of the Penal Code.
Ahmed, however, denied the allegations, saying “I do not know the person that snatched the complainants’ bag because he is also a passenger whom I picked along the road’’.
The Senior Magistrate, Mrs Ann Akobi, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N50,000 and a surety in like sum.
She said the surety must reside within the jurisdiction of the court and must ensure that the accused was present in court always.
Akobi added that the surety must have a reasonable means of livelihood and a definite address that must be verified by the prosecutor.
She further said that the surety must affix his passport photograph alongside that of the accused on the bail bond, and adjourned the case to Sept. 14 for further hearing. (NAN)