Police arraign man, 40, for shielding offender

A 40-year old man, Paul Audu, has appeared before a Mararaba Senior Magistrates’ court, charged with shielding an offender from prosecution.

The police arraigned Audu of Karu, Nasarawa before Senior Magistrate Iliya Aku, on a count charge of screening an offender, an accusation he denied.

The prosecutor, Cpl. Steven Kwaza, told the court that one Ndubuisi Victor, a detained crime suspect, was released on bail to the accused who was his surety.

He alleged that Victor was released to the accused in December, 4, 2013 after he had signed an undertaking to produce the suspect any time he was needed by the police.

He further alleged that when it was time to charge the suspect to court, the accused refused to honour the terms of his undertaking.

Kwaza said that the undertaking was signed at the Sani Abacha Police Station, Mararaba, where the suspect was being held in connection with a case of cheating.

“All efforts by the police to lead them to Victor for prosecution proved abortive as he was not ready to give us the needed information.

“We had no option than to arrest the accused, having failed to produce Victor for legal action, and arraign him to serve as a deterrent to others.

“The accused is aware that refusing to produce Victor makes him liable to pay the N200,000 bail bond he signed to the Federal Government of Nigeria”, the prosecutor alleges.

The offence, according to the prosecutor, contravened Section 167 of the Penal code.

Magistrate Aku admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N250,000 with two sureties in like sum who must reside within the court’s jurisdiction.

The sureties, according to the magistrate, should summit their recent passport photographs to the court registrar and their addresses should be verified by the prosecutor before his released.

He then adjourned the case till July 17 for continuation of hearing. (NAN)