Motorcyclist in court for stealing passenger’s N36,000 phone

The Ekiti State Police Command on Tuesday, August 11, 2020, arraigned a 23-year-old man, Shuaibu Abdulkareem, before an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court over alleged theft of a N36,000 phone.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Bankole Olasunkanmi, alleged that the defendant, who was standing trial on one count of stealing, “committed the offence on August 5 around 9am opposite Ado Grammar School, Odo Ado in Ado-Ekiti”.

Olasunkanmi alleged that “the defendant stole one Infinix Hot 8 Lite phone valued at N36,000 belonging to one Oyinlade Opeyemi.”

“The defendant, who is a commercial motorcyclist, took the complainant, who was a passenger, to Odo Ado to fill his gas cylinder.

“The complainant told the defendant to hold his phone for him as he wanted to alight from the motorcycle with the cylinder. The defendant zoomed off immediately with the phone.

“The defendant sold the phone and the police are tracking it. The offence contravened Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012,” the police prosecutor added.

He, however, prayed the court for adjournment to enable him to study the case file and present his witnesses.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr Adedayo Oyebanji, granted him bail in the sum of N50,000 with a surety in like sum.

Oyebanji said the surety must provide a landed property or a Grade Level Five officer.

The chief magistrate adjourned the case till September 20, 2020 for hearing.