The police on Wednesday arraigned a 52-year-old man, Joshua Obieze, before a Grade I Area Court in Kubwa, Abuja, over alleged criminal intimidation of a female member of his cooperative society.
The defendant and complainant, Bunmi Emmanuel, both are members of the same cooperative society, ‘’Kingdom wealth” .
The Prosecution Counsel, Chinedu Agada told the court that the complainant reported the matter at the Kubwa Police Station on Aug. 22.
According Agada, the defendant allegedly threatened the complainant with a text message that said that her peace had been withdrawn and she would live in fear and terror.
The prosecution counsel said the defendant sent the text message to Emmanuel on Aug. 20.
He said that the offence contravened the provisions of Section 397 of the Penal Code.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him.
Read also: Biodun Fatoyinbo: Dakolo’s rape file abandoned – Segalink claims
The defence counsel, Miss Esther Egelonu, prayed the court to grant her client bail in most liberal terms, citing Section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
Agada, however, opposed to the bail of the defendant, saying the court should consider the gravity of the offence and the risk of him actualising his threats to the complainant.
He, therefore, urged the court to remand the defendant in prison and applied for accelerated hearing.
The Judge, Mr Muhammad Adamu, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N500, 000 with two reasonable sureties who he said must be resident within the court’s jurisdiction .
Adamu said the sureties must present means of identification and their addresses verified by the prosecution counsel.
He also ordered the defendant to enter a bond to maintain peace and adjourned the case until Sept. 29 for hearing.(NAN)