UPDATED: Nigerian Police arraign Lebanese, three others for alleged theft

The Police have arraigned a Lebanese and three others before a Magistrate Court in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State for allegedly stealing three transformers.

According to the prosecution,the Lebanese, Antoine Alromi, and Benjamin Offia, stole the transformers valued at N7 million from a private company, Lana Construction Company Limited, in July this year.

They were said to have sold the equipment to Malachi Ogbodo and Gregory Ndukwu, who were also arraigned for buying and receiving stolen items.

The police said Mr. Ogbodo bought one of the transformers for N1 million, while Mr. Gregory allegedly bought two for N1.5 million.

When the matter came up for hearing, counsel to the Nigerians, Gabriel Onyibe, appealed to the court to grant them bail on lenient terms as they were well known members of their community.

But the prosecutor, Kenneth Adokeme, opposed the bail application for the second defendant, Mr. Offia, and Mr. Alromi who did not have a counsel.

Mr. Adokeme, a deputy superintendent of police, alleged that the Lebanese is an illegal alien who entered the country without proper documentation. He said Mr. Alromi had perfected plans to jump bail by leaving the country once granted bail.

The prosecutor further told the court that the Lebanese was also facing trial in another court for allegedly obtaining over N3 million from people under pretence.

He said the first and second respondents had made confessional statements, adding that the police have overwhelming evidence against them.

But the Magistrate, Olughu Nnachi, in his ruling, noted that the offence they were accused of is bailable and granted the Lebanese and Mr. Amechi bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in like sum.

“The first accused must also tender his international passport while the two sureties must be civil servants on grade level 15 or above,” he said.

The third and fourth accused were also granted bail to the sum of N5 million and two sureties in like sum.