Court Grants Domestic Help N1m Bail for Stealing Priest’s Phones, Dollars

The police on Tuesday arraigned a domestic help, Pascal Uchechukwu, in a Magistrates’ Court in Life Camp, Abuja, for allegedly stealing a priest’s phones and dollars.

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Uchechukwu, of no fixed address, is standing trial on a two-count charge of housebreaking and theft.

The Prosecution counsel, Peter Ejike, told the court that one Rev. Father, Emmanuel Ameh of Spiritan Provincialate Catholic Church,  Katampe, Abuja reported the matter at the Gwarinpa Police Station on Dec. 24.

Ejike alleged that on the same date during mass at the church, the defendant who usually cleaned the Reverend Father’s house criminally trespassed and broke into his house through the ceiling.

The prosecutor, in addition, said the defendant then proceeded into the priest’s bedroom and stole two mobile phones, a Samsung Galaxy A20 valued at N55,000, an Infinix S series valued at N35,000.

He said Uchechukwu also took a cash sum of N12,000,  200 dollars and absconded to an unknown destination.

According to Ejike, it was during the police investigation that one of the phones was tracked to one Abubakar Shuaibu, who facilitated the arrest of the defendant on Jan. 16, at Mararaba, Nasarawa State.

He alleged that the Samsung Galaxy phone was also recovered from the defendant and he confessed to the crime.

The offense, he said, contravened the provisions of sections 355 and 288 of the Penal Code

The defendant who denied committing the offense, however, admitted taking just the phone found in his possession when he was arrested.

He equally denied knowing anything about the other missing items.

His counsel, Cynthia Nnamdi applied for his bail in the most liberal terms.

The Magistrate Chinyere Nwecheonwu granted him bail in the sum of N1 million and a surety in like sum.

She further directed that the surety must be a civil servant on grade level 8 and above, who must reside within the court jurisdiction.

Nwecheonuwu also adjourned the matter until March 5, for hearing.