A 44-year-old banker, Abdulkareem Ado, has been slammed bail in the sum of six million naira for alleged purchase of stolen vehicle by a Gudu Upper Area Court in Abuja on Friday.
The presiding officer, Umar Kagarko, ordered the defendant to produce a reliable surety in like sum.
Kagarko said the surety must reside within the jurisdiction of the court, and adjourned the case till May 26 for hearing.
Ado of Fida Owner-Occupier was arraigned on a three-count charge of receiving stolen property, failure to give information and resisting to taking of property by lawful authority.
The Prosecutor, Augustine Urom, told the court that Abiodun Alafise reported the matter at Garki Police Station through a written petition on M arch 18.
He said that on Jan.12, 2015, the complainant said that he entrusted seven different vehicles to Samuel Jatau and Babajide Kuti all of Prestige Cabs on hire purchase.
Urom said that each of the cars entrusted to both men now at large was valued three million naira.
He said that the complainant gave out those cars to Jatau and Kuti on `hire purchase to be remitting N110, 000 on a monthly basis.’
Urom said that “with intent to cheat, they both absconded with four of the seven vehicles.’’
The Prosecutor said further that during police investigations it was discovered that one of the vehicles, a silver coloured Toyota Camry RBC 868 DE was sold to Ado by the said Jatau.
Urom said Jatau sold the car after forging the original particulars.
He said that Ado knew quite well that the vehicle was fraudulently obtained by Jatau.
“In the course of investigations he was asked to produce the said vehicle which was in his possession and also to produce Mr Jatau in order to aid in the investigation,’’ Urom said.
He said that Ado refused to cooperate with the police by refusing to show where he kept the said vehicle.
He said he also refused to give any useful information to assist the police.
The Prosecutor said the offence contravened Sections 317, 138 and 144 of the Penal Code.