Robbery: Police dock 2nd defendant 2 years after 1st arraignment

The police in Abuja yesterday docked a second defendant in an armed robbery case two years after filing the charge and arraigning the first defendant. Police Prosecutor, John Ijagbemi, told an FCT High Court in Maitama that the second defendant, Abubakar Idris, could not be brought to court since May 17, 2017, because he was […]

The police in Abuja yesterday docked a second defendant in an armed robbery case two years after filing the charge and arraigning the first defendant.

Police Prosecutor, John Ijagbemi, told an FCT High Court in Maitama that the second defendant, Abubakar Idris, could not be brought to court since May 17, 2017, because he was standing trial for armed robbery before another court.

Upon pleading not guilty to the three-count charge, Idris had told the court that he was not aware of the case until he was brought before the court.

However, the prosecutor told the court that investigation revealed that he conspired with the first defendant, Emmanuel Maduka, to commit the robbery of which he was arraigned.

He added that Idris was already remanded in prison for another robbery and that a production warrant had to be secured before he was released by the prison’s authorities to face the present charge.

In the charge, Maduka, Idris and others still at large were said to have on December 27, 2016, conspired to rob one Precious Nwafor around 09:00am at Kabusa Village, Apo, Abuja.

They allegedly robbed Nwafor at gunpoint of N120,000 cash and various recharge cards of different network providers valued at N450,000.

They were equally charged for being in possession of a locally made pistol without valid license.

Meanwhile, the trial judge, Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, adjourned the matter to September 25, for definite hearing.