A 24-year-old student, Ifeanyi Kalu, arraigned in a Mararaba Grade 1 Area Court, Nasarawa state, on a count charge of theft for allegedly stealing his neighbour’s Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card, which he used to withdraw N89, 000. He is standing trial on a count charge of theft, an off ence that contravened Section 287 of the Penal Code which provides that if convicted of stealing, an accused is liable to three years’ imprisonment.
When the charge was read to him, he pleaded not guilty. Th e prosecutor, Agabi Auta, told the court that one Ogbonna Onyejiuwa, of the same address with the defendant, reported the matter at the ‘A’ Divisional Police Station, Mararaba on July 26. According to Auta, the defendant unlawfully used a stolen Eco Bank ATM card of his neighbour to withdraw N89, 000 without his consent.
“Th e defendant went to the complainant’s room, took his ATM card without his consent, went to the ATM and withdrew all his money,” he said. Auta further alleged that the defendant knew the complainant’s pin number because he once sent him to the bank to help withdraw some money for him. In a short ruling, the judge, Mr. Albert Maga, granted him bail in the sum of N100,000, with one surety in like sum. He ruled that the surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and adjourned the case till August 21 for hearing
