A female staff of the Ebonyi State Transport Service, Mrs. Ginika Akam, and her 13-year-old son, Goodluck Akam, have been arraigned before a Magistratecourt sitting in Abakaliki on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.
Akam, whose husband is said to be bed-ridden, was arraigned in a suit numbered MAB/805c/2018 on November 14, 2018 before Magistrate Humphrey Emeka Chima as the second accused person while her son was listed as the first accused.
They were said to have stolen a cash sum of #80,000.00 and 9mobile recharge cards valued at N20,000 from a business outlet in front of their compound at Liberty Street, Abakaliki, owned by one Mr. John Uneke, on November 5, 2018.
Goodluck, a junior secondary school 2 student of Urban Secondary School, Abakaliki and his mother were accused of committing offences punishable under Sections 516A(a)and 390 of the Criminal Code Cap 33 Vol 1 Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.
After thorough interpretation of the charges in Igbo language, the accused woman and her son pleaded not guilty as charges.
The counsel to the accused persons, Augustine Oken Esq, pleaded for their bail. He disclosed that they had been on police administrative bail and assured they have a reliable surety and would not jump bail.
He prayed the court to, on the next adjourned date, try the first accused person in chamber considering his age.
Speaking on the matter, the trial magistrate granted bail to the accused in the sum of N150,000.00 and a surety in like sum.
Since they are mother and son, the two accused persons were allowed to produce only one surety, who must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court. The two accused and their surety are to deposit recent passport photographs and home addresses verified by the police.
On the request for a private trial, he advised that the police should charge the young boy separately from his mother, to ensure the private trial.
The matter was adjourned to a later date for
hearing.
