A 46-year-old woman, Racheal Effetah, who allegedly stole a policeman’s phone valued at N45,000 at a car wash, was on Friday released on N50,000 bail on the orders of an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs O. A. Layinka, while granting the accused’s bail application, said she should provide one surety in like sum.
Layinka said the surety must be gainfully employed with an evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government as part of the bail conditions.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge of stealing brought against her.
Earlier, the Police Prosecutor, ASP Edet Okoi, said the accused committed the offence at a car wash along Adekunle Fajuyi Road, GRA, Ikeja, at 8.45 p.m. on Nov. 12, 2017.
Okoi alleged that the accused stole an Infinix phone note 4 valued at N45,000 belonging to a policeman, Insp. Chigo Joseph.
“The complainant who is attached to the Federal SARS, Ikeja, with his team was at a car wash to wash their patrol van.
“The accused, who came to introduce herself to the complainant while the van was being washed, later sat beside him.
“The policeman later discovered that his phone had been stolen few minutes after the accused took her leave.
“All efforts to trace the accused were unsuccessful until after some days when the complainant was on patrol along Oshodi Road.
“Effetah was apprehended by the complainant and his team on sighting her. The accused escaped and was re-arrested on Abeokuta Road near AIT at a hotel,’’ Okoi told the court.
The offences contravened Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 which prescribes at least three years imprisonment for offenders.
The case has been adjourned until April 16. (NAN)