The Police on Tuesday arraigned one Nnamdi Ezeh before an Abuja Magistrates’ Court for allegedly seizing one Austine Ochoga’s school certificate for a four million naira ransom.
Ezeh of no fixed address, is therefore, standing trail for joint act, cheating and unlawful seizure.
The Police Prosecutor, Cpl. Simon Emmanuel, told the court that Ochoga of Airport Road, Lugbe, Abuja, reported the case at the Life Camp Police Station, Abuja on Jan. 10.
Emmanuel told the court that sometime in August, 2012, the accused and two others, now at large, tricked Ochoga to Dape Village, Abuja, under the pretence of offering him a job.
He said that while at Dape Village, the accused and his accomplice seized his school certificate and other credentials for a ransom of four million naira.
The prosecutor said the complainant paid N135,000 to Ezeh and all efforts to get his documents back proved abortive.
He said the action contravened Sections 79, 322 and 256 of the Penal Code.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mr Mohammed Zubairu, granted the accused bail in the sum of N100,000 and one reasonable surety who must reside within the jurisdiction of the court.
He said the surety must be a civil servant, on not less than grade level six, or a business person with a business place in any government approved market or shopping complex.
Zubairu adjourned the case to Jan. 28 for further hearing. (NAN)