A 20-year-old security guard, Ali Rabiu, has been arraigned before a Kado Grade I Area Court, Abuja, for allegedly stealing diesel.
The police charged Rabiu of Salisu Ilyasu street life Camp Abuja, with theft and mischief, but he has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Mr Stanley Nwafoaku, the Prosecution Counsel, told the court that on May 2, at about 1pm, Mr Charles Udoh of Plot 995 Salisu Ilyasu Street, Life Camp Abuja, reported the matter at Life Camp Police Station.
He alleged that on April 29, the complainant went to service his generator and he discovered that the hose of the generator connecting the diesel tank to the fuel pump had been tampered with.
He added that the hose was wrongly connected to the breeder of the generator, causing damages and loss of over 70 litres of diesel valued at N52,000, Amateur cool AVR valued at N450,000, crankshaft valued at N25,000, with mechanical and electrical expenses valued at N20,000, among the damaged generator parts listed by the prosecution counsel.
Nwafoaku affirmed that the total cost of the damage was estimated at N495,000 adding that during the police investigation, the defendant openly confessed and admitted to the allegation.
He said the offence contravened the provisions of Sections 289 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 the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, assuring that the defendant will not jump bail if granted.
Nwafoaku, however, did not object to the bail application made by the defence counsel.
Meanwhile Judge Muhammed Wakili admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N300,000 and one surety in like sum.