Two applicants, Donald Nwachukwu, 32, and Success Okoro, 28, were on Tuesday arraigned in a Wuse Zone 2 Magistrates’ Court, Abuja, over alleged meter theft.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and theft.
Prosecutor Stanley Ifeanyi, had told the court that the case was reported at the Wuse Zone 3 Police Station on Aug. 10, by one Ogbu Otache.
Otache, who is a security guard at Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), said the defendants allegedly stole one AEDC’s meter belonging to a customer.
The prosecutor also said that Nwachukwu was allegedly caught tempering with meters to by-pass for customers in Gwarimpa.
The offences contravened Sections 95 and 287 of the Penal Code.
The Magistrate, Raphael Egbe, granted bail to the defendants in the sum of N50,000 each, with one surety each in like sum.
Egbe said that the surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and adjourned the case until Sept. 17. (NAN)