The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Mararaba

  • Mechanic arraigned in court over missing phone

    Mechanic arraigned in court over missing phone

    The Police on Monday arraigned a 46-year-old mechanic, Ismaila Shehu, in whose pocket an allegedly stolen phone rang when its owner dialled it on discovering it was missing.

    Shehu who resides at Aso B Mararaba, Nasarawa State is facing a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and theft at a Mararaba Grade 1 Area Court, Aso Pada.

    The Prosecutor, Agabi Auta, told the court that the matter was reported at the Aso Police Station by one Muniru Mohammed of Aso Pada, Mararaba on Aug. 11.

    Auta said that the defendant and one Adamu Musa, now at large, on the same date at about 10.00 am, came to the complainant’s shop located at Mararaba to charge a phone.

    He said that the defendant gave his phone to the complainant to charge, while also conspiring with Adamu to steal the complainant’s phone valued at N64,000, which was also being charged.

    The prosecutor said that the complainant noticed his phone was missing as the defendant was about leaving, and immediately used another customer’s phone to dial his number.

    He said that the complainant’s phone rang from the defendant’s pocket.

    Auta said that the defendant was handed over to the police while Adamu escaped.

    According to him, the offence contravened Sections 289 and 97 of the Penal Code.

    The defendant denied committing the offence and the Judge, Mr Albert Maga, granted him a N100, 000 bail and one surety in like sum.

    He said the surety must be a resident of the court’s jurisdiction and must submit two recent passport photographs, a National Identity Card or a driver’s licence.

    The Judge also said the surety must write an undertaking that the defendant would be of good behaviour throughout the period of his trial.

    Maga adjourned the case till Aug. 31 for hearing.

  • Police decry inadequate manpower, communication gadgets

    The Nasarawa State Police Command, on Wednesday, said it lacked adequate manpower and communication gadgets to tackle crime in the state.

    The state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Abubakar Sadiq, made this disclosure in Lafia in a welcome address to the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Mr Shuaibu Gambo, who was on a two-day working visit to the state.

    “The command has a paucity of manpower, the problem that is compounded daily by the transfer of men in large numbers out of the command.

    “Presently, the command has a staff strength of 4,000 men to police the population of more than two million residents of Nasarawa; I believe this is grossly inadequate,” he said.

    According to him, the command also lacks adequate communication gadgets to effectively cover the entire state, gather and share useful information on crimes.

    “The command’s communication system does not cover half of the state for effective coordination of tactical operations across the state; there is the need to communicate with all divisions in the state.

    “Presently, some divisions as Keffi, Mararaba, Karu are cut off from the command headquarters,” he lamented.

    The CP also said that the command did not have enough patrol vehicles and a befitting office accommodation for officers of the command headquarters in the state.

    “We do not have enough patrol vehicles to patrol the state. The state is vast, as it takes up to four hours or more to travel from the state capital to some Local Government Areas.

    “Also, since the creation of the state in 1996, the command is still at the temporary site; the offices are dilapidated. When we had the first rain last week, virtually all the offices, including the commissioner’s office leaked,” he said.

    He noted that despite all the challenges, the officers had remained focused and committed to their performance for effective service delivery.

    Responding, the DIG, who is of the Department of Finance and Administration, assured that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Idris Ibrahim, was taking steps to improve on the welfare and working conditions of police personnel and other staff nationwide.

    “The issue of your welfare and working condition is very paramount to the IG; that is why he deemed it necessary to send all the DIGs to visit all commands under their jurisdiction for supervision.

    “I want to assure you that the IGP is doing all he can to provide better welfare packages and working conditions for you all,” he said.

     

  • Bus conductor jailed for stealing phone

    Bus conductor jailed for stealing phone

    A 21-year-old bus conductor, Shedrach Ezekiel of Mararaba, was on Tuesday sentenced to 18 months in prison by a Mararaba Grade 1 Area Court for stealing a phone valued at N11, 000.

    The presiding judge, Albert Maga, convicted Ezekiel after he pleaded guilty for the offence of conspiracy and theft.

    The convict, who pleaded for leniency, said, “I don’t have anybody here, I came to this town to look for job but it has not been easy for me.”

    Maga said that the accused had not been able to give tangible reasons to the court on why he should not be punished for the offence.

    He said that the sentence would serve as deterrent to other offenders of like minds.

    “However, the prosecutor was unable to prove the charge of conspiracy as the other suspect is still at large.

    “The court hereby discharge the accused on the charge of conspiracy and sentence him to 18 months imprisonment for the offence of theft,” Maga said.

    The judge, however, gave the convict an option of N4, 000 fine and also ordered him to pay the complainant N11, 000 as compensation for the stolen phone.

    Earlier the prosecutor, Cpl. Friday Adaji told the court that the convict was first arraigned on Aug. 14 but remanded in custody for his accomplice to be arrested.

    Adaji said that Ezekiel stole a Nokia phone valued at N11, 000 from the bag of one Luka Ruth at Brother Plaza, Mararaba.

    He said that when the convict was caught in the act, he threw the phone to his accomplice, who is now at large.

    The prosecutor said the convict contravened the provisions of sections 97 and 287 of the Penal Code.